


D4 Rush Hour in Hong Kong

by wsdsrdbw4096



Series: Dimension Four [12]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - 1970s, Anachronistic, Corruption, Gangsters, Gen, Kidnapping, Martial Arts, Multilingual Character, Original Character(s), Police Procedural
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2020-06-25 01:51:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 62,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19735936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wsdsrdbw4096/pseuds/wsdsrdbw4096
Summary: Story based on the 1998 Jackie Chan film Rush Hour.When the daughter of a Canadian diplomat gets kidnapped, Garfield Wu is dispatched to Hong Kong to help solve the case, which saw him partnered with a police inspector and dragged into a series of action-packed adventures. Please read and review!





	1. A raid at the port

**Author's Note: Here's the next installment of my Garfield Stephenson Wu series, folks!**

**This story is a direct sequel to** _**D4 Scooby-Doo! Le Fantôme dans le Place des Arts** _ **, and as the title suggests, it is based on the 1998 Jackie Chan film _Rush Hour_ , with some differentiation from the source material _._**

**Once again, the Garfield in this story is my fictional alter ego Garfield Stephenson Wu, NOT his namesake, the title character of the comic strip _Garfield_ created by Jim Davis.**

* * *

Chapter 1: A raid at the port

_April 26, 1973_

It was night time over at the Port of Vancouver, and much of the port has quieted down, though nighttime harbour activities continued as ships arrive from or depart for the journey across the Pacific.

Several workers were busy loading cargo onto or off the vessels, and the machinery were running smoothly as the cargo were loaded on or off the flat rail cars.

There was some smoke coming from the workers taking a break with a smoke, in addition to steam from the machinery and the vessels.

The scene eventually shifted towards one particular vessel, where machinery and forklifts were busy loading crates and containers onto it.

All of the crates and containers have the labels "To Hong Kong - 往香港" on them, a clear indication that the vessel they were loading on is primed to depart for Hong Kong.

As the dock workers continued to work, a man dressed in a tan brown dress shirt walked past a dock worker busy tying knots near a stack of crates.

"趕快!" (Hurry up!) The man said to the dock worker as he walked past him. "我們沒有整個傍晚的!" (We don't have all evening!)

The dock worker only grunted in reply, and the man continued on towards the docked vessel.

As the man continued on to the vessel, the scene shifted back to the dock worker he was speaking to earlier in an angle that allows his face to be fully seen underneath the flat cap he is wearing.

The dock worker narrowed his eyes at the sight of the retreating back of the man that had spoke to him earlier, and he glanced around before resumed tying the knots.

A short while later, a man with brown hair surreptitiously followed the man when a couple of footsteps can be heard around the corner of the stack of crates.

Swiftly, the man quickly leaped into the water, just as another two dock workers emerged from the stack of crates.

The two dock workers were each finishing a smoke as they emerged from the stack of crates, then they threw their cigarettes to the side and turned towards the lone dock worker tying the knots.

"一切都準備好了嗎?" (Everything ready to go?) The taller dock worker asked.

"你們再給我五分鐘，一切就準備好了。" (Give me five more minutes, everything would be ready to go.) The dock worker tying the knots responded. "同時，你們可以發動船了。" (In the meantime, you guys can start the vessel.)

"好的。" (Sounds good.) The bulky second dock worker nodded as he tipped his cap.

The two dock workers then took their leaves, during which the scene shifted towards the nearby piers, revealing the brown-haired man holding onto the column above the water.

The man peeked over, and after ensuring that the dock worker tying the knots is the only person around, he got up from his hiding spot and continued on down the docks towards where the man he was shadowing earlier were heading towards.

As the brown-haired man walked by him, the dock worker turned towards the direction he was heading, then he surreptitiously left his station and headed the opposite direction.

A short while later, on the vessel, another dock worker was walking down the walkway when a whistle attracted his attention, then he turned towards its source, only for the brown-haired man to flash a gun and motioned him to join him.

The scene then shifted to near the ramp leading to the docked vessel, during which the man from earlier were greeted by another man from the vessel.

The man in the tan brown shirt nodded back as he joined the man from the vessel, who was dressed in a white Zhongshan suit with a pair of black trousers.

"Everything all set and ready to go?" The man in the white Zhongshan suit asked.

"Yes." The man in the tan brown shirt replied before taking a nearby box, opened it and added, "We've managed to get the artifacts specified to Yikui's tastes."

The man in the white Zhongshan suit took the object out from the box and examined it briefly, then he nodded as he replaced it in the box.

As the two men continued to discuss, a nearby manhole cover opened up, and then the brown-haired man from earlier emerged from his spot with his weapon drawn.

"Freeze!" The brown-haired man shouted, surprising the two men by the vessel before they turned towards him, the man in the tan brown shirt slowly raising his hands.

As the brown-haired man marched towards the two men by the vessel, a night light shined onto the RCMP badge clipped to his belt.

With his gun drawn on the two men, the RCMP investigator spoke into the radio, "I'm in position. Move in."

As the investigator radioed in, one of the two men tried to reach into his pocket, though the investigator immediately caught sight of it.

"Keep your hands up in the air!" The investigator snapped, and the man in the tan brown shirt kept his hands in the air. "I won't ask again!"

"And just what makes you think you're bringing us in?" The man in white sneered, the Cantonese accent evident in his voice. "If I'm not mistaken, there's two of us and only one of you as of now."

"Correction." Another voice suddenly said, and the two men turned towards its source. "There's two of you and two of us as well."

The source of that voice soon revealed itself as it emerged from the shadows, revealing the dock worker from earlier.

The RCMP investigator nodded as the dock worker discarded his disguise, revealing himself to be Garfield Stephenson Wu working undercover.

"Quite the scheme your boss has running for quite the while." Garfield said as he gripped the crowbar in his hand. "Using fishing boats to smuggle artifacts across the Pacific, namely the Twenty Indigenous Wonders of Canada and several more indigenous artifacts that we've got here."

"Yes." The RCMP investigator agreed. "Now one more question from us: Where is Yikui?"

Just as the investigator finished his sentence, a shot from the vessel suddenly rang out, hitting the investigator.

"Inspector!" Garfield shouted as he quickly rushed over to the investigator, during which the man in white took advantage of the commotion and shoved the man in the tan brown shirt towards the duo.

"快跑!" (Run!) A voice echoed from the vessel.

During this time, the man in the tan brown shirt fumbled for his gun, but Garfield was expecting the move and swiftly disarmed him with a punch.

Then, before the man could retaliate, Garfield delivered another kick and swiftly sent the man to the ground.

As Garfield glanced at the man on the ground, a near-miss shot from the vessel reminded him of the next priority, and he swiftly grabbed the inspector's weapon and fired a couple of shots towards the vessel.

A cry of pain from the vessel confirmed the hit, and Garfield quickly turned his attention back to the inspector.

"Officer down!" Garfield shouted into his radio. "Send medical help to Pier 6A!"

Then, to the inspector, he then added, "Inspector Hudak, are you with us?"

Groaning, the inspector insisted, "I'm...fine. Go after Lu!"

Seeing Lu's retreating figure in the distance, Garfield quickly raced after the fugitive as sirens began to wail in the distance.

As RCMP cruisers and ambulances began pulling up, Garfield sprinted after Lu as the fugitive rolled under a parked truck.

Seeking to do the same thing, Garfield raced through the gap between two containers, only to be knocked out when the container to his right suddenly pushed him forward.

Swiftly, Garfield quickly jumped towards the container on his right, kicking himself upwards at contact in the process, before grabbing onto the edge of the container on his left and swung himself upward just as the gap between the two containers closed.

With a flip, Garfield landed on his feet on the two containers and immediately went after the forklift operator that attempted to flatten him into a pancake.

The operator, blocked by the container in front of him, was oblivious to Garfield's arrival, and he was caught off guard by Garfield suddenly swinging right into the cab and delivering a swift kick that knocked him out of the cab.

Upon knocking the forklift operator out cold, Garfield resumed his chase and rolled under the parked truck.

By the time he reached the other side of the truck, Lu was already on his motorboat and speeding out of the harbour towards the open sea.

"Blast!" Garfield swung his fist in annoyance, during which the RCMP cruisers and the ambulances began pulling up.

As officers rushed out of the cruisers, Garfield said into his radio. "Lu got away."

* * *

An hour later, in a hotel located a few blocks away from Pacific Central Station in downtown Vancouver, a late-night party was well into its closing phase.

The party was attended by officials from the Department of External Affairs, the Hong Kong Government Office information centre in Vancouver and high-ranking members of the Legislature of British Columbia.

It was a farewell party for Dalton Merton, who is taking up a new diplomatic post in Hong Kong as the head of the Canadian Commission.

Merton was in the middle of his second tenure as one of the six MLCs representing the Lower Mainland in the Legislative Council of British Columbia, the upper house of the BC Legislature, when he was appointed to head the Canadian Commission in Hong Kong, hence the attendance of high-ranking members of the BC Legislature at his farewell party.

Prior to his tenure as MLC, Merton worked in the Department of External Affairs and has seen postings overseas, mostly in Eastern Asia.

At present, Merton was standing by the side of the front stage as Chief Superintendent Douglas Graham of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, who started his career at Scotland Yard in London and was transferred to Hong Kong as an inspector and whom Merton was acquainted with from their time in the war, finished his closing remarks.

"And now, I believe Commissioner Merton would like to say a few words before the toast." Graham finished, and Merton nodded as the chief superintendent motioned him to take the podium.

Upon taking the podium, Merton cleared his throat as he glanced at his notes briefly, then he turned towards Graham, who nodded at him encouragingly.

Nodding back, Merton turned back towards the table of guests and began.

"Good evening, everyone." Merton began. "Words cannot express the excitement I am feeling from my diplomatic appointment as the new Commissioner of the Canadian Commission in Hong Kong, in addition to the pending departure for the Pearl of the Orient."

There were some murmurs among the guests as some of them nodded thoughtfully, and Merton continued.

As the outgoing MLC touched on his past diplomatic career and accomplishments in the BC Legislative Council, Garfield, now donning a suit, entered the the room, during which Graham turned towards him.

Nodding, Garfield whispered something into Graham's ear, and Merton paused before he turned towards Graham and Garfield, who then repeated whatever was whispered earlier.

Some of the guests arched their eyebrows when Merton looked pleased by the news delivered from Garfield, and then Merton returned to the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Merton said. "I have just been informed that thanks to a joint sting operation between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, hundreds of stolen indigenous artifacts, including the Twenty Indigenous Wonders of Canada, have been successfully recovered."

At the announcement, the guests began to clap their hands and cheer, and Garfield nodded as Graham looked at him proudly.

"Thousands of years worth of Indigenous Canadian culture were long thought to be lost, but thanks to the raid carried out at the Port of Vancouver this past hour, we can be rest assured that the cultural artifacts are now in safe hands and will be promptly returned to their rightful owners." Merton continued.

As Merton made the remark, Garfield looked towards a couple of First Nations band chiefs in attendance, both of whom nodded when their eyes met.

"In addition, thanks to the raid, Yikui's criminal organization, who specializes in smuggling similar artifacts with Hong Kong and Vancouver as its operation centres, have been shut down on the Canadian side." Merton said. "And considering the size and scope of Yikui's Canadian quarters, the crime lord is sure gonna have a huge headache trying to keep his empire afloat when he has to rebuild his North American operations from scratch again."

With a nod, he continued, "Coupling that with the Hong Kong authorities cracking down on organized crime, it's only a matter of time before Yikui's criminal organization becomes history."

* * *

The farewell party ended not long after the guests took part in a farewell toast to Merton, and Garfield gathered with Graham and Merton in the main lobby.

"You certainly look like you're disturbed by something, Mr. Wu." Graham observed.

"I was this close to capturing Lu." Garfield admitted. "Not to mention we could've anticipated that Yikui was employing a sniper in his gang that prevented me from getting to Lu when he made his getaway."

"You did what you could, Mr. Wu." Graham said as he and Merton turned towards Garfield. "In the face of what was at stake during the raid, you took the best course of action that resulted in the recovery of those indigenous artifacts and Inspector Hudak getting the medical attention he needed."

"Not to mention that given Lu acts the way he did, there's no telling he's gonna give up Yikui that easily should you capture him, Garfield." Merton added.

"Yes." Graham nodded. "All it matters now is that we've struck a critical blow to Yikui's criminal organization and recovered thousands of years worth of Indigenous Canadian artifacts."

"Of course." Garfield nodded thoughtfully. "Not to mention that Hudak's expected to make a full recovery, thankfully, though doctors said that he will be out of commission for the next three, four weeks."

"Oh, that reminds me." Merton said. "We ought to drop by the hospital and pay Anthony a visit, Doug."

"Of course." Graham agreed. "Either way, a job well done, Mr. Wu."

"Yes." Merton nodded as he patted Garfield in the back. "Your help was crucial in the success of this raid."

* * *

_April 27, 1973_

The next morning at Pacific Central Station, Garfield was making his final farewell to Merton, who was accompanied by his ten-year old daughter Katherine, before he boarded the Montreal-bound _Canadian_ to return home for Ottawa.

"So I heard that you're starting an internship with the Department of Public Works next Monday." Merton remarked.

"Yes, I am." Garfield nodded. "Four months in the civil engineering branch, where I will be working with the team designing the new Alexandria Bridge."

"I take it that you're excited for your internship, eh?" Merton asked.

"I am." Garfield replied. "Especially since it's a work experience that would be crucial for my later studies and career progression in civil engineering."

"I'm sure it is." Merton nodded before extending his hand and added, "Well, I wish you the best of luck for your future."

"Thank you, Dalton." Garfield nodded back as he shook Merton's offered hand. "I also wish you the best for your new posting in Hong Kong."

Merton smiled before Garfield turned towards Katherine, who didn't look too happy.

"Something eating you, Katie?" Garfield asked.

"Nothing in particular." Katherine replied. "I just wished I get to see you more often, and now it's gonna be more difficult now that we're going to be at opposite sides of the ocean."

"Oh, don't feel too bad." Garfield said as he brushed her hair.

"Besides, I'm worried if I'm gonna make any friends in my new school in Hong Kong." Katherine continued. "Especially since I'm sure I'm going to have to learn some Cantonese."

"Not to worry, Katie." Garfield smiled reassuringly. "People in Hong Kong are generally very nice, and besides, I'm sure you'll be able to make a lot of new friends in Hong Kong."

"You really think so?" Katherine asked.

"Of course." Garfield nodded before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver necklace with a butterfly on it.

Kneeling down to place the necklace around her neck, Garfield added, "This necklace is for you."

Smiling, Katherine nodded as he placed the necklace around her neck before she said, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Garfield nodded as he stood up.

"So are you gonna visit?" Katherine asked.

Garfield scratched his head before replying, "I'll have to see, especially with my university studies and work, though I've always wanted to visit the Pearl of the Orient and will always be figuring out a time to visit the city."

As he made the remark, Garfield thought back to the time back in Glebe when he made a similar promise to his friend Rebecca Lee, who is from Hong Kong.

"I'm sure you'll be able to figure things out." Katherine smiled.

Garfield nodded before he knelt down again for Katherine to give him a hug, and then he said, "Take care, Katie."

"I will." Katherine nodded.

After the embrace, Garfield got up and once again shook hands with Merton.

"Take care of yourself, Garfield." Merton said as they shook hands.

"I will, and same to you, Dalton." Garfield nodded back.

After the handshake, Garfield waved his hand to them in farewell as he made his way towards the platforms.

A short while later, the Montreal-bound CP Rail train sounded its horn, and the 18-car train slowly began to pull out of Vancouver's Pacific Central Station, beginning its three-day journey across the continent.

As Garfield glanced out of the window from his seat, a CN Rail-operated _Super Continental_ arriving from Toronto sounded its horn as it passed the CP train.

* * *

**Please read and review!**


	2. A busted sting operation and the kidnapping

Chapter 2: A busted sting operation and the kidnapping

_June 12, 1973_

**Location: British Hong Kong**

**Time: 21:08 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Fast forward to more than a month after the raid at the Port of Vancouver, the scene now shifts to nighttime at the Pearl of the Orient.

As the city winds down for the night, it was quiet in the predominantly residential neighbourhood of Shau Kei Wan (筲箕灣) in the colony's Eastern District.

Well, _**mostly** _quiet is a more accurate description, given that at that very moment, a high-speed car chase was well underway, a car chase that followed a brief small explosion earlier.

With the sirens blaring, Detective Inspector Kîm-Fai Lee (李金輝) gritted his teeth and flattened the gas pedal while his partner Detective Sergeant Kei-Hing Choi (蔡箕慶) held onto the handle above the front passenger side door.

"小心，金輝!" (Careful, Kîm-Fai!) Choi urged his partner as they dodged an incoming tram. "不要撞到那輛叮叮。" (Don't crash into that Ding Ding (tram).)

"我知道，我知道。" (I know, I know.) Lee growled as he shook his head before adding, "我們當初去泊交易前應該叫人來出手的。" (We should've called for backup before we went to bust that transaction.)

"我們現在不能在那件事上面做什麼事了。" (Can't do anything about it right now, mate.) Choi said before pointing at the car they're pursuing and added. "唯一的出路就是逮捕那位嫌犯的。" (Only thing we can do now is catch that suspect.)

"我聽你聽得非常清楚，箕慶。" (I hear you loud and clear, Kei-Hing.) Lee nodded before he proceeded to floor the gas pedal.

Choi nodded, and the next few minutes was filled by the two cars continuing with the chase down the street, occasionally dodging the incoming vehicle or tram along the way and skidding along to make a sharp turn onto another street.

Eventually, the two cars were speeding down a deserted stretch of road, during which there was a close-call when the car they were pursuing came close to running them off the road.

"你想要玩，是不是?" (You wanna play, eh?) Lee growled as the car they were pursuing tried to run them off the road, foiled only by his timed application of the brakes.

Watching the car trying to once again make its getaway, Lee narrowed his eyes as he once again floored the gas pedal.

"遊戲要結束了，先生。" (The game's about to end, mister!) Lee said as they caught up to the fleeing car.

As their car approaches the right side of the car, Choi asked, "你在做什麼，金輝?" (What are you doing, Kîm-Fai?)

Lee didn't answer, and before his partner could press on, without warning, the inspector jerked the steering wheel to the left.

That led to the police car jerking suddenly to the left, crashing into the right side of the car they were pursuing and lead to it getting off the road.

The police car then stopped as the occupants watched the brown car travelling a few more metres before coming to a complete stop upon crashing into a fire hydrant.

Watching the water pouring right out of the hydrant, the two policemen pulled over ahead and got off their vehicle.

"消防處需要修理這個漏水的消防栓時不會很高興的。" (The Fire Services Department isn't gonna be happy fixing this one.) Choi remarked as they walked over to the crashed car.

"他們如果要為此找人怪的話，他們可以怪他的。" (If they're looking for someone to blame for this, they can blame it on him.) Lee said as they approached the vehicle, whose front passenger door window was already rolled down.

The driver didn't hide the disdain on his face as the two policemen approached the car with their weapons drawn, and he calmly held his hands up.

"先生，你知道我們抓住你剛才把假煙火賣給道地的幫派，是不是?" (Sir, did you know that we've caught you in the act of selling counterfeit fireworks to the local triad, didn't you?) Lee demanded.

The driver only glared, and Lee glanced at Choi before nodding.

"該下車了，先生。" (Time to get off, sir.) The inspector ordered as he and Choi opened the door and dragged the man out of the vehicle.

While Lee proceeded to handcuff the man, Choi looked around the car.

"先查一下車後箱。" (Check the boot first.) Lee instructed as he kept the man's head down on the front engine lid of the car.

Choi nodded before pulling the lever beside the driver's seat and opened up the trunk, then the sergeant snapped a pair of gloves on and made his way to the rear.

Lee looked on as he held the man down, then he asked, "有沒有東西?" (Anything?)

Choi shook his head as he replied, "沒有。" (Nothing.)

Lee nodded thoughtfully as Choi continued to check the front of the vehicle before turning to the man and added, "駕照?" (Driving license?)

The man only grunted in reply, and Lee leaned closer. "我說你有帶你的駕照，先生?" (I said did you brought your driving license, sir?)

The man continued to maintain his silence as he glared at Lee, and Lee frowned and grabbed him by the collar.

"你如果要玩遊戲的話，那好啊。" (Well, if you want to play games, then so be it.) Lee growled. "因為-" (Because-)

"ㄦ...金輝?" (Uh...Kîm-Fai?) Choi reported as he grabbed some things from the glove compartment of the car.

"現在不是時間，箕慶。" (Not now, Kei-Hing.) Lee barked before continuing, "先生，你現在面對的罪名有很大的刑法。" (The charges you're facing carries heavy penalties, mate.)

Then, glaring at the man, Lee continued, "所以，你現在有兩個選擇。第一..." (So, you now got two choices. One...)

"金輝?" (Kîm-Fai?) Choi urged, and Lee turned towards him annoyed.

"什麼事?" (What is it?) Lee barked again.

"看一下這個。" (Take a look at this.) Choi said as he held up a card.

Lee scowled at the man before motioning Choi to walk over, and Choi held the card up.

"怎麼了?" (What's up?) Lee asked as Choi showed him the card, judging from the urgent look on Choi's face.

"看一下這駕照上的姓名。" (Look at the name on this driving license.) Choi replied as he handed the card to Lee.

Lee read the name and glanced at the photograph of the man, then he looked at the man they had just handcuffed.

"這個姓名看起來很熟悉。" (This name looks familiar.) Lee remarked, and Choi nodded.

"這個姓名是吳sir先前去臥底時使用過的化名之一。" (This name was one of Chief Inspector Ng's aliases for when he went undercover before.) Choi replied. "當時我升上到刑事部的時候，他是直教我的同輩。" (Back then, he was the senior partner that had mentored me when I was promoted to the CID.)

Lee arched his eyebrows and looked at the man they had just handcuffed, and he turned towards Choi again.

"你是說這位先生是吳sir嗎?" (Are you saying that this man is Chief Inspector Ng?) Lee asked.

"是的。" (Yes.) Choi nodded, and Lee turned towards Ng again.

The undercover chief inspector clearly didn't look pleased at what was going on, and the only thing Lee could do was placing his hand on his forehead.

* * *

**Location: Hull, Quebec, Canada**

**Time: 15:55 North American Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-04:00)**

Hours later, across the Pacific in Canada, Garfield was hard at work in his office at the Department of Public Works in downtown Hull.

It was five minutes before 16:00, and at present, Garfield was busy typing up the meeting minutes from the notes he had taken during a recent meeting with the consultants.

In his minutes, Garfield summarized the discussions the team had with the consultants, namely the status update on the new Alexandra Bridge design, risk mitigation strategies and solutions developed to address the issues the consultant and department's surveying teams encountered during a recent site visit.

Taking a break from the typing, Garfield swirled around and glanced at the map on the wall.

It was a map of the overall Capital on the Move project, a project developed jointly between the federal government, the Quebec provincial government and the territorial government of the Canadian Capital Territory for an overhaul of passenger rail services in the downtown of the National Capital Region.

The project, developed in coordination with the Canadian National Railway Development Strategy, encompasses a series of projects that are to be delivered in phases.

At present, the new Alexandra Bridge is part of Phase I of the project, in which a new steel truss cantilever double-decker railway bridge would be constructed to replace the existing structure, which would then be converted into a road and streetcar bridge, complete with a pedestrian crossing with bike paths.

The new Alexandra Bridge, designed as a double-decker bridge, will consist of two tracks on the top deck and four tracks at the bottom deck with the top deck having enough space for two additional tracks.

In addition to the new Alexandra Bridge, the existing Ottawa Union Station rail corridor through downtown Ottawa will move underground, allowing the National Capital Commission to extend Colonel By Drive north of the Hawthorne Bridge and connect to Mackenzie Avenue and Sussex Street at Rideau Street.

On the other side of the Ottawa River, the tracks from the northwest end of the new bridge would be elevated until Hull Central Station, complete with electrified and twinned tracks throughout the main rail lines between Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal with future phases of the project extending the electrification to the entire Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.

Coupled with the project includes plans for eventual full high-speed rail service in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, a plan that the federal government began a study on as the existing CN Rail-operated TurboTrain began producing results.

In addition, the two transit agencies on both sides of the Ottawa River, namely the newly-formed OC Transpo and the Commission de transport de la communauté regionale de l'Outaouais (CTCRO), have also began plans for a rapid transit system in the capital region as the population continues to grow.

While the existing regional and commuter rail services provided by CN Rail and CP Rail and the existing streetcars and buses have proved themselves to be able to handle the daily ridership through the cities, forecasts have predicted that a new rapid transit system would need to be put into place in order to provide relief for the existing systems and further enhance the city's growth and development.

Garfield had sat through the meetings as the project team and stakeholders discussed updates of the new bridge design, namely with the loads calculated based on the forecasted rail traffic primed to use the new bridge once it's put in place.

As he thought about the project, Garfield swirled around and looked at another project map pinned on the wall.

It was that of a preliminary map of Ottawa's proposed rapid transit system, where the rail option would see trains entering downtown from the east end at the University of Ottawa, running along the Rideau Canal, the Union Station rail corridor and Nicholas Street, before entering a tunnel portal just south of Laurier Street.

Upon entering the tunnel, the trains would then turn westward and travel under Queen Street with stops at Union Station and two more along the street before emerging from the tunnel at LeBreton Flats.

The preliminary map also pinpointed potential routes for the rail rapid transit system for Ottawa, including one that runs along the CP Rail Carleton Place Subdivision and connect to the Lincoln Fields community.

Garfield then stretched his arms and yawned briefly before returning to his typing, and by the time he had finished typing out the minutes and distributed the copies to his supervisor and their colleagues, it was almost ten past 16:00.

By that point, Martha was on hold in a phone call, and she nodded when Garfield handed her a copy of the typed-out minutes.

"Thanks, Garfield." Martha nodded as she covered the mouthpiece of her phone. "See you tomorrow."

"Yes, see you tomorrow, Martha." Garfield nodded back before he returned to his cubicle.

Not long afterwards, Garfield was wearing his dark brown fedora and carrying his suitcase with one hand and a black dress coat with the other as he and several commuters waited for the Ottawa-bound CTCRO streetcar to pull up.

Checking his watch, Garfield grunted under the blistering heat before he was alerted by the sound of the streetcar bell.

The grey, blue and pink PCC streetcar soon pulled up into the stop, and Garfield joined the crowd of commuters in boarding the packed streetcar.

A short while later, Garfield got off the streetcar at the Bank Street stop, where he swiftly transferred onto the Carleton University-bound Route 7 streetcar.

* * *

When Garfield got home, he noted that his mother is still at work in Ogilvy's while his brother David and sisters Emma and Diana have left notes telling him that they have gone out with friends for the evening.

He was about to wonder why his younger siblings weren't heading to Uplands for cadets when he remembered that the recent annual passout parade had already taken place and that the cadet training year has ended.

Speaking of cadets, Garfield did take the time to volunteer at the wing during the past training year, and he was there during the recent annual passout parade at Uplands.

By that point, David has been promoted to WO2, and he had mentioned that he was a possible candidate for becoming the next WO1 in charge of the wing, though he had recently received an offer of admission to the University of Waterloo in Civil Engineering with full scholarship.

As a result, David won't be returning to the wing for the next training year, which was further illustrated by him receiving his cadet certificate of service during the wing's mess dinner at CFS Leitrim.

Speaking of his end of service, David has always joked on how Garfield had hogged much of the glory the year before when he finished his service with the air cadets, and Garfield had often rolled his eyes in response.

Meanwhile, Diana and Emma have both saw promotions to Flight Sergeant in the beginning of the previous training year, and Garfield was proud to see the former leading her flight into parade while the latter led the wing's marching band as Drum Major.

Emma has proven herself skillful with her use of the ceremonial mace as she directs and leads the band, and Garfield had always looked forward to seeing her perform acrobatics with the mace during the parades.

In addition, both of his sisters have received their glider pilot wings this past summer, and they're both primed to head for St. Jean for their power wings this upcoming summer, and Garfield and David had wished them good luck.

With Emma and Diana poised to get their power wings, it's only a matter a time before their family has four qualified pilots to choose from when they want to go fly around at the flight clubs.

Anyways, as Garfield hung his fedora and put away his tie, he glanced at the calendar in his room and frowned.

He swiftly made his way to the living room telephone, picked up the handset and dialed a number.

Drumming his fingers on the coffee table, Garfield sat on the couch before he straightened up as the party on the other side of the line answered.

"Detective Inspector Anthony Hudak, Surrey RCMP CID." The party on the other end answered.

"Hey, Inspector." Garfield greeted. "It's me, Garfield Wu."

"Oh, hi, Mr. Wu." Hudak greeted back. "How are you?"

"Doing good, how's the chest and shoulder?" Garfield asked.

"Still on track for recovery with the check ups, though my physical and medical examinations aren't scheduled until next month, so at present I am still medically on leave." Hudak replied.

"That's too bad." Garfield frowned. "Though not surprising when there were complications during surgery."

"Indeed." Hudak nodded. "It's been a rough roller coaster ride for me this past month."

"I can see that, Inspector." Garfield said. "And sounds to me that you could use a vacation."

"I could, though with Yikui and his right hand man still out there, it's gonna be a cloud foreshadowing my potential vacation." Hudak said.

"Yes, I know." Garfield sighed. "We were this close to getting Lu, if it wasn't for the sniper that tagged you in the shoulder."

"Nothing we can do about it, Mr. Wu." Hudak said. "And besides, as DCS Graham said, even if we capture Lu, that wouldn't get us anywhere closer to Yikui, since Lu's smart enough and well-off to get himself a good barrister."

"True." Garfield nodded thoughtfully before he glanced at his watch and added, "Anyways, I better be off now, Inspector. Just got home from work and I got some dinner to fix before my night class."

"Of course, Mr. Wu." Hudak replied. "Take care of yourself."

"Same to you, Inspector." Garfield said. "Talk to you later."

After hanging up the telephone, Garfield sighed again before making his way to the kitchen to whip up some dinner.

At present, in addition to doing his co-op work term at the Department of Public Works, Garfield is also attending night classes in Geography at Carleton on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Upon finishing his dinner, Garfield wasted no time grabbing his school bag, keys and flat cap before he made his way out the door.

* * *

_June 13, 1973_

**Location: British Hong Kong**

**Time: 7:25 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Around the time Garfield was diligently taking notes in his geography class at Carleton University, half a world away, it was almost 7:30 in the morning in Hong Kong as Commissioner Dalton Merton and his daughter prepares for the day.

"I wish I could drive you to school, sweetie, but you know Daddy's schedule." Merton said disappointedly to Katie as she prepares for another day at the Quarry Bay School. "And even if I could, rush hour traffic will make us late."

"Don't worry, Daddy." Katie said as she puts on her school uniform. "I guess the new job here in Hong Kong's taking its time, eh?"

"You can sure say that, dear." Merton nodded before he knelt down to kiss her in the forehead. "Anyways, Scott and Jason are gonna take care of you for the drive to and back from school, so be good and don't give them a hard time, eh?"

"I won't, Daddy." Katie nodded back as she hugged her father. "I promise."

Merton smiled as he brushed his daughter's hair briefly, and inward, he sighed as Katherine reminds him dearly of her mother.

It may have been seven years since Kate's mother succumbed to her illness, but even today, the diplomat still missed her dearly.

"Is something wrong, Daddy?" Katie asked in concern as she noted the look on his face.

Merton looked towards his daughter again and sighed again. "Just thinking...about Mommy."

Katie nodded understandingly before hugging her father again. "I miss Mommy."

"So do I, sweetie." Merton agreed as he rubbed her back.

After the father and daughter broke their embrace, Merton gently held the necklace on Katie's neck.

"Garfield sure got you a beautiful necklace." He remarked.

Katie smiled as the morning sunlight reflected onto the butterfly, revealing a beautiful rainbow colour in its wake.

Merton smiled again before letting go of the necklace and got up.

"Take care, sweetie." The diplomat said as Katie went to join Scott and Jason.

"I will, Daddy." Katie nodded.

Merton nodded back and looked on as Scott and Jason led Katie out of the apartment and towards the private car in the parking garage.

* * *

A short while later, the private car was driving down the main road with the occasional double-decker tram carrying early morning commuters passing them now and then.

While the traffic was mostly light along the way, the two men at the front noticed up ahead that the road traffic was beginning to pile up.

As they approached an intersection, they can see a police constable in the middle of the intersection directing traffic.

One by one, the cars were directed to a certain direction and when the diplomatic car pulled up, the constable directed them to make a left turn onto the adjacent road.

Scott and Jason shared glances with each other, though the latter shrugged and the former nodded as he drove on.

Several blocks down the street, Scott was about to cross another intersection when, out of nowhere, a police car suddenly lurched forward and stopped right in front of them.

Scott was quick to slam on the brakes, and the constable driving the police car got off.

After rolling the window down, Scott turned towards the constable.

"Is there a problem, Constable?" Scott asked.

The scene then turned around to face the constable, who smirked as he raised a handgun.

"Not a problem." The constable smirked, revealing himself to be Lu in disguise. "Just rush hour traffic."

Without missing a beat, Lu proceeded to fire several shots.

Katie screamed as the shots rang out, then Lu proceeded to force the rear door open and grab her.

Not the type who goes down without a fight, Katie immediately began to hit and kick the fake police constable as she continued screaming.

In the ensuring struggle, the young girl dropped her necklace while the beating she gave to Lu resulted in his peaked cap falling off.

Using the necklace as a weapon, as Lu tried to counterattack, Katie used the necklace and ended up giving the man a deep cut on the right side of his face.

While Lu held onto his face in pain, Katie immediately pushed the other door open, got off and then raced down the street.

As Katie screamed her way down the street, a motorcycle began charging towards her with the driver wearing a helmet.

The driver swiftly reached over to scoop her up, and then Katie was kicking and screaming as the driver held onto her.

Eventually, another van pulled up down the street, and the motorcycle drove over.

The occupant of the van opened the side door quickly, and the motorcycle driver pulled over to the side of the van and handed the little burden to the man, receiving a kick from Katie in the process.

In spite of the kick, the kidnappers continued on with the grim task undaunted as the occupant swiftly closed the door, and the van charged right out.

The scene then shifted to the roadway, where the butterfly necklace was laying on the pavement as the van drove away.

* * *

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	3. Aftermath of the kidnapping and an assignment

**I've made some slight updates to the previous two chapters in order to rectify some historical errors present in this story.**

**First off, Chief Superintendent Douglas Graham is no longer depicted as being exchanged from Scotland Yard to the Royal Hong Kong Police, as back in the story's setting, Europeans are also recruited to the force and that there has been instances where there are police officers transferred from Scotland Yard to the Hong Kong police.**

**Second, this story takes place in the summer of 1973, which was also during the time when Hong Kong still observed northern daylight saving time.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Aftermath of the kidnapping and an assignment

**Time: 9:20 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Over at the Hong Kong Hilton, Commissioner Dalton Merton and his assistant were overseeing preparations for the Canadian Indigenous Art Exhibition at the hotel's conference hall.

The commissioner looked on as his assistant conferred with the crew manager, then he nodded as his assistant walked over to him.

"Well?" Merton asked.

"Everything's going according to schedule, Commissioner." The assistant replied as she held a clipboard. "At present, the crew are expecting the Twenty Indigenous Wonders to join the exhibition by the afternoon when the flight from Vancouver arrives."

"Excellent." Merton nodded and smiled. "Since the raid at the Port of Vancouver, it has been long overdue for the lost artifacts, specifically the Twenty Indigenous Wonders, to be shown to the world."

"And what better way to do it than having them the centre of the art exhibition in the Pearl of the Orient." The assistant nodded.

"Exactly." Merton nodded. "Margaret was instrumental in securing the agreements from the First Nations chiefs to have the artifacts shipped here for the exhibition."

"Securing the agreements from the chiefs means a lot, Commissioner." The assistant nodded, though before she could continue, their attention was drawn towards two men approaching an attendant at the front desk.

Merton raised an eyebrow when the two men were directed towards his direction by the attendant, and he stepped towards them as they approached him.

The first man was dressed in a suit while the second man was dressed in a uniform, and by the St. Edward's Crown and the two pips worn on his shoulders, Merton noted that the second man is, in fact, a chief superintendent of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force.

"Commissioner Dalton Merton?" The man in the suit asked.

"That will be me." Merton replied as he eyed the chief superintendent suspiciously. "Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

"Commissioner, I am Officer Mark Wilkinson with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Security Services." Wilkinson introduced himself as he flashed his credentials before waving at the chief superintendent and continued, "This is Chief Superintendent Fred Chu, head of the Diplomatic Security Directorate of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force."

Merton relaxed a bit after the introductions, though he remained tense as he asked, "What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?"

"It's your daughter, Commissioner." Chu replied before motioning Merton to join him and added, "Can we speak at your office at the Canadian Commission?"

Merton and his assistant shared glances with each other, then they both nodded.

* * *

The mood in the office was tense as Merton digested the news of his daughter's kidnapping in the neighbourhood of Shau Kei Wan, with Chu also adding that the body of a police officer was found a few blocks away from the scene.

"I can't understand this." Merton stretched his hand out as he sat in his seat. "How could this had happened in broad daylight?"

"Commissioner Merton, your guess is as good as ours." Chu interjected. "At present, preliminary evidence points to sophisticated planning in the execution of the kidnapping. Someone clearly knew what they were doing."

"Yes, and I'll bet that that someone may have some connections in the police force that enabled them to pull this off in broad daylight!" Merton said as he looked at Chu and Wilkinson. "Officers who are-"

"We're still in the preliminary stages of the investigation, Commissioner." Wilkinson interrupted. "It's too soon for us to jump to conclusions just yet."

"Yes, well, I hope you're right on that." Merton frowned. "I should've seen this coming when I accepted this assignment, as far as I'm concerned, and-"

"Commissioner Merton, I can assure you that the Royal Hong Kong Police Force is on top of the case and that we will get your daughter back safely." Chu said.

"Yes, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice swiftly." Wilkinson added.

"I'm sure you all do." Merton nodded, though the frown remained on his face. "However, I'm sure you both wouldn't mind if I bring in someone from Canada to help out with the investigation."

"Commissioner Merton, your daughters kidnapping is a top priority for the Royal Hong Kong Police Force." Chu said. "We've got good people on the case who would bring your daughter back, so it won't be necessary to bring in someone from Canada to-"

"You both don't understand." Merton scoffed as he stood up. "This is my daughter life we're talking about here, she's practically the only person I've got left since her mother died, and let's just say that I have reservations on entrusting my daughter's life on a police force whose integrity isn't exactly on par with what people would and should expect."

Wilkinson and Chu shared glances with each other, then the latter said, "Commissioner, I can assure you that the investigators assigned to the investigation are properly vetted, so whatever concerns you've got shall be put to ease."

"Right, of course." Merton nodded. "However, I believe you both should know that my assistant has already made the call to Canada when we got here."

His two visitors glanced at each other, then Wilkinson said, "Commissioner, you should understand that should news of the kidnapping reach the Foreign-"

"The investigator I've asked for from Canada is very good at what he does, and he is very discreet." Merton said. "In addition, as a bonus, he speaks the language fluently and has always been keen on visiting Hong Kong."

* * *

_June 12, 1973_

**Location: Ottawa, Canadian Capital Territory, Canada**

**Time: 21:15 North American Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-04:00)**

That night in Ottawa, Garfield was in his room packing up his briefcase not long after he received the urgent phone call from Hong Kong, and he shook his head as he glanced at the time on the radio alarm clock.

His mother Melissa soon approached his room door, and Garfield paused and turned around.

"怎麼了?" (What's wrong?) Melissa asked, judging from the frown on Garfield's face.

"你還記得Dalton的女兒Katherine嗎，媽媽?" (Mom, do you still remember Dalton's daughter Katherine?) Garfield asked as he paused from his packing.

"是的。" (Yes.) Melissa nodded. "怎麼了?" (What happened?)

"剛才我跟加拿大駐港專員公署講完電話。" (I just got off the phone with the Canadian Commission in Hong Kong.) Garfield replied. "Katherine去學校的路上時被綁架了。" (Katherine got kidnapped on her way to school.)

"天啊!" (My word!) Melissa held her hand by her mouth in shock. "Dalton要你去香港幫忙調查的，是不是?" (Dalton wants you to go to Hong Kong to assist in the investigation, right?)

"是的。" (Yes.) Garfield nodded. "我剛剛也跟Martha講了電話，她說我可以請假去香港幫忙。" (I also spoke to Martha on the phone, she says I can take leave for the trip.)

"那就好。" (That's good.) Melissa nodded before she walked into his room and glanced into his open briefcase. "全部都包好了嗎?" (Everything packed?)

"好了。" (Done.) Garfield said as he looked into his briefcase. "等一下我就要搭上飛往溫哥華的包機，然後再轉上飛往香港的包機。" (I'm gonna be flying on a chartered flight first to Vancouver, then transfer onto another chartered flight to Hong Kong.)

In mentioning chartered flights, Garfield was referring to the flights chartered by the Department of External Affairs for him.

"那你就好好的照顧自己。" (Then, take care of yourself.) Melissa said as she patted him in the back.

"我會的，媽媽。" (I will, Mom.) Garfield nodded.

* * *

_June 13, 1973_

**Location: British Hong Kong**

**Time: 10:30 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Meanwhile, over at the Shau Kei Wan police station, Superintendent Gwok-Wan Chin (陳國灣) was fuming in his office as a copy of the day's _Ming Pao_ (明報) newspaper rests on his desk.

The article accompanying the headline detailed the explosion in the neighbourhood the previous night, an explosion that was the result of a police undercover operation gone wrong.

From what Detective Chief Inspector Ng had told him, Inspector Lee and Sergeant Choi were the ones responsible for the foul-up.

Chin groaned and placed his hand by his forehead as thoughts about Lee came into his mind, where he recalled Lee's previous commanding officer's words.

"你必須特別注意李督察的行為。" (You need to keep an eye on Inspector Lee's antics.) Chin recalled then-Chief Inspector Leung's warning. "他有很大的potential，但他很容易會被他的ambition給carry away的。" (He has great potential, but he can get easily carried away by his ambitions.)

As he gently pinched his forehead, the superintendent pulled out a handkerchief from the top draw of his desk and wiped it.

Examining the handkerchief, Chin wasn't surprised to see it drenched in sweat.

It was barely mid-June, and his office was already feeling like an oven.

In spite of the fact that he had the fan running and his dress tunic hung on the clothes rack near the office door, Chin has to fan himself now and then in order to cool down.

While the superintendent was used to the Hong Kong heat, he certainly doesn't envy the constables and the sergeants going out under the hot sun for their patrols.

The dark navy blue dress tunics and trousers, along with the peaked caps, sure absorbs a lot of heat from the sun.

Chin was in the process of loosening his black tie when his office phone rang, and the superintendent swiftly picked up.

"喂?" (Hello?) Chin answered, and a pause went by before he said, "啊，朱sir。你還好嗎?" (Ah, Chief Superintendent Chu. How are you?)

Another pause went by before Chin nodded, "我很好，多謝。" (I'm doing good, thank you.)

After a few minutes, the superintendent frowned as he gripped the phone.

"我不認為我有聽清楚你剛才說的話，sir。" (I don't think I've heard you correctly, sir.) Chin said. "你是說我要派人去執行G14的case嗎?" (You saying that I need to dispatch someone for the G14 case, right?)

After another pause, the superintendent gripped the handset tighter.

"就算我這裡有多餘的人手，誰要一個像這種愚蠢的assignment?" (Even if I have an extra man, who would want to take an idiotic assignment like this?) Chin demanded.

A brief pause went by before Chin continued, "這個assignment不只對我是一個羞恥，也對這個警署是一個羞恥!" (This assignment isn't just an insult to me, it's also a disgrace to this station as well!)

Before Chin could continue, there was a gentle knock on his office door, and the superintendent said, "稍等一下，朱sir。" (Give me a minute, chief superintendent.)

Then, covering the mouthpiece, Chin called, "請進!" (Come in!)

The office door opened, and his aide, a uniformed probationary inspector, stepped in briefly and said, "李督察在外面等，sir。" (Inspector Lee is waiting outside, sir.)

"好，給我一分鐘，等一下再派他進來。" (Okay, give me a minute, then send him in.) Chin instructed.

"Yes, sir." The aide nodded as she stood at attention briefly before stepping back out and closed the door in the process.

Once Chin was alone in his office, he uncovered the mouthpiece.

"朱sir，我等一下會派人過去。" (Chief Superintendent, I'm sending someone over soon.) The superintendent said.

A pause went by before Chin nodded. "Yes, sir."

He then hung up the phone, then he sighed as his office door opened, and in came Detective Inspector Lee, who stood stiffly at the doorway as soon as he entered.

"As you were." Chin barked. "請坐。" (Please take a seat.)

As Lee proceeded to sit down, he said, "陳sir，在你開始之前，我要說-" (Superintendent Chin, before you start, I would like to say that-)

Chin abruptly waved his hand up as he glared at Lee firmly, and the inspector stopped talking.

"不要再找我任何藉口，督察!" (Don't offer me any more excuses, Inspector!) Chin said firmly as he held up the newspaper and slapped on the headline as he continued, "你知道你昨天的行為造成的破壞有多大?" (Do you realise how much damage was caused as a result of your antics yesterday?)

Lee simply leaned back on his chair, and the superintendent slammed the paper back onto the desk.

"你幾乎炸掉了半的街區!" (You pretty much blew up half a block!) Chin said as he slammed the paper onto his desk.

"那個街區本身就有好幾個政府還沒有拆掉的違章建築。" (That block consists of a good number of illegal structures the government has yet to tear down.) Lee defended.

"就算如此，你還搞砸了吳總督察的臥底任務!" (Even so, you also screwed up Chief Inspector Ng's undercover operation!) Chin countered. "你昨天的行為也造成他在調查的嫌犯順利的逃脫，他三個月的任務就此泡湯!" (Your actions yesterday resulted in the suspects he was investigating making their successful getaway. Three months of undercover work went up in smoke just like that!)

Holding up his three fingers, the superintendent continued, "三個月!" (Three months!)

Lee simply remain slumped in his seat, and Chin leaned back onto his chair.

"你應該很慶幸吳總督察決定不向投訴科對你投訴!" (Consider yourself lucky that Chief Inspector Ng decided not to lodge a complaint against you to Internal Investigations.) Chin continued as he stood up from his seat and glared at Lee sternly. "但這並不代表他在你昨天的行為後贊成我今天放你一馬。" (But that doesn't mean he supports me letting you off the hook today, not after what you did yesterday.)

"那你要我做什麼?" (Then, what do you want me to do?) Lee asked.

Chin paused his lips before he proceeded to sit back down on his chair and leaned forward.

"外交官保安組需要人來迎接和幫忙一個從加拿大派來的顧問，那位顧問是來幫忙我方執行一個案件。" (The Diplomatic Security Directorate needs someone to receive and assist a consultant dispatched from Canada, who's here to help us out on a case.) Chin explained.

"是嗎?" (Is that right?) Lee raised an eyebrow.

"沒錯。" (That's right.) Chin nodded. "我已經跟朱sir說我會派人去執行這個assignment。" (I've already told Chief Superintendent Chu that I will dispatch someone to handle the assignment.)

"誰?" (Who?) Lee asked.

* * *

**Time: 11:30 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

"你在開我的玩笑!" (You've got to be kidding me!) Lee grumbled later that morning after Chief Superintendent Chu briefed him on the details of the case and the nature of the assignment. "我又不是褓姆!" (I'm not even a nanny!)

"李督察，你知道我們需要一個人看好那位身稱為「加拿大的福爾摩斯」的顧問。" (Lee, you know full well that we need someone to look after the consultant dubbed as "Canada's Sherlock Holmes".) Chu said sternly. "他是來這裡幫忙結案，但如果他在結案期間受重傷的話，這對警務處的形象不會有任何好處的!" (He's here to help solve the case, but should he get seriously injured in the process, this won't spell good news for the force's reputation!)

"這個assignment只不過是為了保護警務處的形象，是不是?" (This assignment is all about protecting the force's reputation, isn't it?) Lee demanded.

"Whatever." Chu huffed. "重點是:我們需要你在吳廣慶的拜訪期間看好他。" (Point is, we need you to take good care of Gwong-Hing Ng during his visit here.)

"更何況你也在週二的風波後需要人來執導。" (Not to mention that after Tuesday's fiasco, you need someone who can guide you well.) Chin added as he folded his arms.

"所以我需要這個無聊的assignment?" (So I need this boring assignment?) Lee scoffed. "這是什麼樣的邏輯啊?" (What kind of logic is this?)

"李督察，周二的風波已經不是你第一次搞砸案件了。" (Inspector Lee, Tuesday's fiasco isn't the first time you've screwed up during a case.) Chu warned.

"沒錯。" (That's right.) Chin nodded. "這個assignment是我們給你改善自己的最後一次機會。" (Consider this assignment as your last chance to redeem yourself.)

"我如果不接受這個assignment的話，會發生什麼事?" (What will happen if I refuse to do this assignment?) Lee demanded.

Chin and Chu glanced at each other, then they both looked at Lee with their faces as hard as stone.

"我們在考慮把你降職。" (We're looking at a demotion.) Chin said. "換句話說，你會需要每天晚上來警署報告，然後上街道去巡邏。" (In other words, you'll be reporting to the station every night and go out on patrol in uniform.)

"如果再不改善的話，你就可以把自己算是一般民眾。" (And if there are not any improvements, then you can count yourself as a civilian.) Chu added. "所以你要做什麼看你，但剛剛我們講的東西是你不好好思考、選錯選擇的後果。" (So what you do is up to you, but what we just said are the consequences of you choosing poorly.)

Lee simply glared at Chin and Chu, not liking the choices he is facing.

As he pondered about his decision, Lee shuddered at the thought of going back to patrol.

Even so, the offered assignment is something of a dull assignment that he's sure that patrol would've normally taken up.

However, considering the stakes he's facing with his two superiors, Lee figured that he didn't have much of a choice.

"好吧。" (Very well.) Lee sighed. "我接受這個assignment。" (I accept this assignment.)

"Good." Chu nodded approvingly. "記得吳先生的飛機明天早上大約11點會在啟德機場降落。" (Remember that Mr. Ng's flight lands at Kai Tak Airport tomorrow morning at 11.)

"And不要再給我們搞任何飛機，李督察。" (And do not give us any more dirty laundry for us to deal with, Inspector Lee.) Chin added. "了結嗎?" (Understood?)

"Yes, sir." Lee stood up and stiffened his arms.

* * *

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	4. Arriving in Hong Kong and a hold up

Chapter 4: Arriving in Hong Kong and a hold up

**Time: 17:45 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Lee spent the rest of the day delegated to desk duty, where he was buried under a pile of paperwork.

The inspector scowled as he looked around the squad room. If getting assigned to a boring assignment wasn't bad enough, being delegated to desk duty and working on a huge pile of paperwork sure made his day even worse.

It was also during the day that he became aware of the case attributed to his "babysitting" assignment, in which the daughter of the Canadian Commissioner posted in Hong Kong was kidnapped earlier that morning.

As Lee finished typing a report for another file, he glanced around and spotted Detective Inspector Denise Hung (洪) and her partner Detective Sergeant Leo Hon (韓), the two investigators assigned to the investigation of the kidnapping.

Lee simply scoffed at the sight of the two investigators and shook his head. As far as he's concerned, while he himself hasn't exactly gotten along well with his colleagues since his transfer to the station two years ago, he has also heard rumours that weren't favourable towards Hung and Hon.

Lee fanned himself and resumed his typing, and a few minutes later, he was ready to push his typewriter aside and call it a day when he spotted an air cadet walking down the hallway with a lunch box.

The air cadet was in her full service dress uniform, consisting of a dress shirt, black tie, dress tunic, dress skirt, black dress shoes and wearing a bowler hat. Her tunic also has two chevrons on the sleeves, indicating her rank of Corporal.

Lee looked on as the corporal made her way through the squad room, and then he arched his eyebrows when he saw her approaching Superintendent Chin's office.

* * *

Chin was finishing off some paperwork of his own when he heard someone knocking on the door.

His aide has already gone home for the day, and the superintendent called out, "請進!" (Come in!)

"爸爸!" (Dad!) The corporal opened the door and she made her way into his office, and Chin groaned internally as he recognized his daughter Audrey. "工作很忙嗎?" (Busy day at work?)

"惠玲?" (Wai-ling?) Chin asked as he took off his reading glasses. "你在這裡做什麼?我不是跟妳說過妳不能在航空青年團訓練或隔天要上課的晚上來警署看我的嗎?" (What on earth are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to come visit me at the station on a school or air cadet training night?)

"抱歉，爸爸。" (Sorry, Dad.) Audrey shrugged as she handed him the lunch bag and added, "你忘了你的晚餐，更何況你說你今天需要加班。" (You forgot your dinner, plus you mentioned that you have to work overtime.)

"我一點也不餓。" (I'm not hungry.) The superintendent said as he took the lunch bag from her.

"這是我用媽媽的食譜做出來的義大利麵。" (This is spaghetti I've made using Mom's recipe.) Audrey explained.

"Hmm." Chin grunted as he gently placed the lunch box down onto his desk.

He then looked at his only daughter before saying, "我等一下開車載妳去妳的中隊。" (I'm driving you to your squadron.)

"你沒有必要載我，爸爸。" (You don't need to drive me, Dad.) Audrey said as she turned to leave. "我等一下就要搭叮叮。" (I'm gonna take the tram soon.)

"不行，妳不會的。" (No, you're not.) Chin said sternly as he stood up from his seat. "我-" (I'm-)

"我可以照顧我自己的，爸爸。" (I can take care of myself, Dad.) Audrey cut in. "我又不是沒有在香港長大的。" (It's not like I didn't grow up in Hong Kong.)

The superintendent was about to think of something, but the firm look on his daughter's face says it all regarding what she's got in mind, and Chin sighed.

"Just be careful." Chin finally said after a brief moment of silence. "另外，這是妳 **最後** 一次來這裡看我，惠玲。妳了解嗎?" (Also, this is the **last** time you come see me here, Audrey. Do you understand?)

"是的，爸爸。" (Of course, Dad.) Audrey nodded as she leaned forward to kiss her father in the forehead.

* * *

Lee was picking up his suit jacket and fedora, ready to call it a day when he saw the corporal emerge from Chin's office as the superintendent looked on.

The inspector nodded to himself as he concluded the father-daughter connection he had made between the corporal and the superintendent, during which Chin stepped out of his office and watched his daughter leave.

As Lee watched Audrey Chin take her leave, he turned around and saw the superintendent watching him as well.

Without a word, Lee gestured towards the nearby clock and stood up as he showed his suit jacket and fedora and placed the latter on his head.

Chin only nodded at him curtly, and Lee took that as a sign to leave the station while he still can.

As Lee stepped out of the station and into the night, he glanced around and saw Hung and Hon loitering at a nearby lane taking a smoke.

Not hiding his disgust at the habit, Lee simply held onto the rim of his fedora as he walked down the street in the opposite direction.

* * *

_June 14, 1973_

**Time: 11:45 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Lee sure wished that he had brought his water bottle as he waited by his car at the tarmac of Kai Tak Airport, especially as he found himself standing under the blistering sun with no shaded shelter nearby.

As he waited for the flight to make its final approach to the airport, the inspector's mind thought back to the progress on the investigation he had gathered.

There wasn't any traces of the perpetrator's DNA on the diplomatic car, and other than the recovered bullet from the constable shot dead by the perpetrator, the bullets recovered from the scene didn't produce any other match during ballistics testing.

There was one thing that has been nagging Lee since he learned about the kidnapping case yesterday morning, and that's the fact that even though it's been a full day since the kidnapping occurred, neither the Canadian Commissioner nor the staff at the Canadian Commission has received a ransom demand.

Lee was placed out of his thoughts when he saw a private jet with the Canadian flag making a touch down on the distant runway, and he placed his hands on his hips as he watched the private jet taxiing its way onto the tarmac.

The aircraft eventually came to a complete stop and idled not far from where he was standing, and Lee looked on as the engines began to cool down.

After what seemed like forever, the door finally opened and settled down into a set of stairs, and Lee got a better look of the aircraft's occupants when the stairs settled down.

The flight's captain was the first to get off the aircraft, followed closely by the flight attendant, and it was then that Lee turned his attention towards the third occupant of the aircraft, who at present was making his way down the stairs with a large suitcase.

The consultant Chu spoke of looked younger than he had imagined. As far as Lee was concerned, he was expecting, perhaps, a middle-aged person who's not unlike a certain consulting detective from turn of the century London.

Instead, the consultant stepping off the aircraft looks like he's in his late-teens and early 20s, and Lee arched his eyebrows at first sight when he saw just how much the consultant looked like he could've been from China, Japan, Korea or even Taiwan.

* * *

Before stepping off the aircraft, Garfield took the time to take in the breeze and the view of the Pearl of the Orient from the top of the stairs.

Adjusting his glasses and flat cap, Garfield then proceeded to make his way down the stairs where the flight's captain and the flight attendant were waiting.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Garfield reached over to shake the captain's hand.

"Merci beaucoup." (Thank you very much.) He said to the captain, who nodded gracefully.

Handshake over, Garfield then turned towards the flight attendant and shook her hand as well.

"Merci beaucoup." (Thank you very much.) He said, and the flight attendant nodded gracefully as well.

It was during that handshake that Garfield became aware that there was a third person standing nearby.

* * *

Watching the consultant shaking the flight attendant's hand and speaking in French, Lee drew in a breath as he stepped forward.

"請告訴我你會講白語。" (Please tell me that you can speak Cantonese.) Lee said to the consultant, who turned around and faced him briefly.

The consultant paused his lips, Lee sighed as he decided to introduce himself.

"我是皇家香港警務處李金輝督察。" (I am Detective Inspector Kîm-Fai Lee of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force.) Lee said as he extended his hand out. "你聽得懂我說的一句話嗎?" (Do you understand a thing I'm saying?)

The consultant glanced at the captain and the flight attendant, then he glanced down at Lee's hand before awkwardly taking it and shaking it.

Taking that as a sign that the consultant likely _understands_ what he is saying but doesn't speak the language, Lee sighed before deciding to try breaking the ice in English.

"How was your flight from Canada?" He asked. "I'd imagine it must've been tiring flying across the Pacific."

The consultant nodded, though he was quick to point at the time on his watch and said, "Case."

Lee nodded. "I got you, Mister. In that case, let's not waste time and get you to your hotel first."

The consultant shook his head, though Lee was walking to his car by that point, forcing him to rush over and catch up.

* * *

A short while later, the car was speeding down the motorway with Lee behind the wheel as Garfield looked around.

"So where did Canada's External Affairs place you at in the duration for the case?" Lee asked as he got off the motorway.

Garfield shook his head as he pulled out Merton's business card, then he showed it to Lee as he pointed at the "Canadian Commission in Hong Kong" text beneath Merton's name.

After that, Garfield pulled out a photo of Katie and pointed at it, adding, "Katherine."

"Yes, yes, I know about the case." Lee nodded. "But like I said, it's probably best if you first head over to your hotel to unpack, then I drop you off at the Canadian Commission in Central."

Garfield only grunted as he repeatedly pointed at Katherine's photo, and the inspector sighed.

"Just relax, okay?" Lee asked. "It's not like that this isn't the only roadway from the airport to Central."

Garfield nodded curtly, though the frown remained on his face as he put the photo and business card away.

Eventually, they got off the motorway at an interchange, though Garfield immediately turned towards the back when Lee made a left turn onto the roadway.

Seeing the panicking look on Garfield's face, Lee said, "Relax, Mister. I'm just gonna pick something up at the department store along the way, and besides, it's not like I'm gonna take a long time doing so."

Garfield simply scoffed and shook his head, and Lee sighed.

"You're quite the piece of work, aren't you?" Lee remarked. "Already eager to get down to work as soon as you've touched down, leaving no time to get around the city that I've heard you've been so eager to visit."

Garfield simply folded his arms and didn't respond, and Lee just carried on driving as they follow a tram down the road.

* * *

A short while later, the two were walking down the sidewalk through the lunch crowd, where Garfield find himself struggling to keep up with Lee.

There was a vendor a few buildings ahead, and Lee nodded at himself as he approached the vendor in question.

The vendor was frying some fried rice when he saw Lee approaching, and he scowled at the sight of the inspector.

"John，你最近好嗎?" (John, you doing alright?) Lee asked as Garfield managed to catch up to him.

"Hello to you too, Lee." John scowled. "你又要什麼東西?" (What are you looking for?)

"你該不會知道筲箕灣的一個綁架案吧?" (You don't happen to know about a kidnapping at Shau Kei Wan, do you?) Lee asked.

"或許吧。" (Maybe.) John shrugged. "You think I might have a thing about the dirt on that?"

"Of course." Lee said. "聽說被害人是一個加拿大來的外交官的女兒。" (Word has it that the victim is the daughter of a Canadian diplomat.)

"Wouldn't know a thing about it." John scoffed. "Now if you would excuse me, I've got some customers to serve."

Lee frowned, and it was then that he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, during which Garfield narrowed his eyes.

"如果給你一些茶錢，或許它可以幫助你的記憶力。" (If I give you some tea money, maybe it can help jog your memory.) Lee said as he offered several $100 bills.

John looked at the money offered by Lee and narrowed his eyes, then he said, "我不能保證我有的訊息會有幫助的。" (I can't guarantee that the information I've got will be helpful.)

"沒關係。" (That's okay.) Lee said as he shoved the bills into John's hand. "What's the dirt?"

John sighed as he pocketed the money, then he looked around to ensure that no one else was observing before lowering his voice.

"最近有人把這一區的煙火都買光了，不曉得是要用來做什麼的。" (Someone's bought out all of the fireworks in the area, though I'm not sure what for.) John said.

"你有沒有名子?" (Do you have a name?) Lee asked, and John shook his head.

"Like I've said, can't guarantee said info would be helpful." John shrugged apologetically.

"Still better than having no info at all." Lee waved a hand before turning towards his right and asked, "That right, Mister Wu?"

However, when Lee turned around to where he expected Garfield to be standing at, he saw that the consultant was nowhere to be seen.

"Mr. Wu?" Lee turned and looked around, then he started to search through the crowd as he added, "吳先生!" (Mr. Wu!)

Frantically searching through the crowd, Lee tried to find Garfield, though it was very tough doing so in the crowd.

As Lee searched through the crowd, several "Ding Ding"'s can be heard from the street as trams approaches the nearby tram stop.

Lee then spotted someone wearing a dark brown flat cap like Garfield's, and he immediately rushed over to the man.

"吳先生!" (Mr. Wu!) Lee said as he grabbed the man by the shoulder, only for his face expression to drop when the man turned around and revealed himself to _not_ be Garfield, prompting the inspector to quickly apologise.

Just as Lee was about to give up, the sound of the bells from the tram stop nearby attracted his attention, and it was then that he turned towards one of the trams pulling out of the stop.

His eyes widened when he spotted Garfield on the top deck of the tram in question, settling down in his seat.

When Garfield spotted Lee looking at him, he only smiled and waved his hand as the tram pulled out of the stop.

* * *

Garfield huffed as he settled down in his seat, and he shook his head gently as he thought about Lee earlier.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of the inspector, especially after he witnessed the inspector giving the vendor some "tea money".

"難怪皇家香港警務處有「世上用錢所能買到的最佳部隊」之稱。" (No wonder the Royal Hong Kong Police has the reputation of "the best force that money can buy".) Garfield thought to himself.

He was annoyed about having to leave behind his suitcase on Lee's car, though he knew that he could find somewhere to replace the clothes and hygiene utensils he had packed in the suitcase.

Garfield scoffed and shook his head, though his expression brightened as he looked around from his seat.

"至少我有機會搭上香港著名的雙層電車。" (At least I've got the chance to ride on Hong Kong's famous double-decker trams.) Garfield thought to himself as he took out his camera and snapped a few photos, during which the tram began to speed up.

After taking a few photos, Garfield took out a map of Hong Kong and observed outside to pinpoint his present location.

Tracing his current location with his finger, Garfield dragged it on the map and then pointed at the Canadian Commission, marked in red, twice.

It was then that he felt someone lowering the map down, and Garfield looked up and scoffed when he recognized Lee, who had used the barrel of his service weapon to lower the map.

"Think you could get away?" Lee demanded as he pointed his weapon towards Garfield. "You should know that like you, I also have a few tricks up my sleeve."

As Garfield raised his hands up, he glanced towards the front and noticed something, then he instinctively pointed towards the front.

"你以為我有這麼好騙嗎?" (You really think I'm easy to fool?) Lee scoffed as he kept his weapon trained on Garfield, who continued to point towards the front. "After what you've pulled earlier, I'm not letting you out of my-"

Lee was cut off in mid-sentence when the tram abruptly came to a stop at the red light up ahead, and the inspector lost his balance.

Taking advantage of the situation, Garfield gave Lee a swift kick in the rear and effortlessly disarmed the inspector.

Without missing a beat, Garfield grabbed the map he was reading and quickly reached for the nearby window, where he managed to land on the roof of an approaching car effortlessly with the map as a parachute.

The driver of the car looked up at him in disbelief, though Garfield was quick to raise his hand and he quickly grabbed onto the handle near the emergency exit of a nearby double-decker bus, which at present was making a left turn.

By the time Lee managed to recover and got up, he saw that Garfield was gone, and the inspector rushed over to the window.

Seeing Garfield holding onto the handle near the emergency exit of a turning double-decker bus, Lee's mouth dropped open.

"你在開我的玩笑!" (You've got to be kidding me!) Lee exclaimed as he quickly rushed down the stairs.

Approaching the tram operator, Lee revealed his badge and demanded, "讓我在這裡下車!" (Let me off here!)

The operator immediately obliged, and Lee immediately got off the tram, though it was then that the lights turned green again, and the cars waiting at the traffic light honked their horns as Lee charged in front of them.

By that point, the double-decker bus had came to a stop at a bus stop, and Garfield immediately got off from his position and raced to the sidewalk.

Seeing Lee in the distance, Garfield looked around and saw a bamboo scaffolding up ahead.

As Lee was rushing his way through the crowd, his eyes widened when he saw Garfield climbing the scaffolding.

"你真的在開我的玩笑!" (You've really got to be kidding me!) Lee exclaimed as he watched Garfield reaching the top of the scaffolding, where he immediately leaped down towards a horizontal flag pole.

With his hand clutching by his chest, Lee looked on in disbelief as Garfield's hands caught onto the flag pole and started swinging around.

Stretching his legs down straight, Garfield managed to stop his swinging around the flagpole and looked down.

Seconds later, another double-decker bus pulled up under his feet, and Garfield wasted no time letting go of the flagpole and landed right on the vehicle's roof.

As the double-decker bus made its left turn, Garfield spotted an open emergency escape hatch and swiftly leaped into the open hatch.

Incidentally, there was a holdup underway in the rear of the upper deck of the bus, where a young couple were facing a trio of men dressed in white shirts and wearing masks.

The leader of the holdup gang was armed with an iron bar while the other two were armed with wooden clubs, and they were in the process of issuing their final ultimatums to the young couple.

"我們不會再說一次!" (We won't say this again!) The leader demanded as he spoke in Mandarin. "把身上 **所有** 的寶貴東西交給我們!" (Give us **all** of your valuable items!)

Just as the young couple were unsure what to do next, Garfield abruptly landed through the open hatch above and right onto one of the holdup thugs.

The couple and the remaining holdup gang members turned towards Garfield in surprise, and the leader demanded, "你從哪裡出現的?!" (Where did you came from?!)

Assessing the situation in front of him, Garfield only narrowed his eyes as he realized that he just interrupted a holdup.

"不要再煩那對情侶。" (Leave that couple alone.) Garfield replied in Mandarin.

"喔，是嗎?" (Oh, really?) The leader retorted. "這不關你的事，先生!" (This is none of your business, mister!)

"當你搶一對情侶的時候，這就變成我的事了。" (When you're robbing a couple, this becomes my business.) Garfield replied evenly as his hands shifted into a pose.

Eying Garfield's defiance, the two holdup men gripped their weapons as the third man attempts to get at Garfield.

However, before the third holdup man could do something, Garfield abruptly delivered a swift kick right in the man's groin, sending him back onto the floor.

Then, the second man attempt to swing at Garfield with his club, only for Garfield to suddenly grab onto it and deliver him a kick to the face.

As the second holdup man is sent to the left side, the leader attempts to take several swings at Garfield with the iron bar.

Given the small space on the upper deck of the bus, it didn't take much for Garfield to use the environment to his advantage and several kicks and punches flew.

By that point, Lee managed to flag down the bus and ordered the driver to stop and open the door.

As soon as he boarded onto the bus, Lee rushed his way to the upper deck, in time to see Garfield knock out the leader of the holdup gang.

Just as the young couple were about to express their gratitude to Garfield, Lee abruptly approached him from behind and draw out his gun.

"好了，遊戲已經結束了，吳先生。" (Okay, the game's up, Mr. Wu.) Lee said in Cantonese, and Garfield sighed before he turned around with his hands up. "你必須告訴我你剛才忙著要去哪裡。" (You need to tell me where you were in a rush to go to.)

"發生什麼事?" (What's going on?) The woman asked.

"沒事的，沒事的。" (Don't worry, don't worry.) Lee turned his attention to the woman. "只是警察的事。" (Police work only.)

As Lee was speaking, Garfield suddenly grabbed the gun, draw it towards his right, and before Lee knew it, Garfield was now holding his service weapon.

"喂，你幹嘛這樣?!" (Hey, what did you do that for?) Lee asked as Garfield pointed the gun at him. "我只是想要知道你忙著要去哪裡?" (I just wanna know where you were in a rush to go to.)

"你們到底是在搞什麼事啊?" (What on earth are you guys doing?) The man asked, and Garfield turned around and raised his hand, as if to assure him that he's got the situation under control.

As that was happening, Lee quickly drew out his backup weapon.

"喔，你以為只有你是有把戲嗎?" (Oh, so you think you're the only one with a bag of tricks, eh?) Lee asked as he aimed the gun at Garfield. "把槍放下!" (Put the gun down!)

It was then that they heard another weapon click, and a voice demanded, "你們兩個把槍枝放下!" (Both of you put your guns down!)

When Garfield and Lee turned around, both of them arched their eyebrows at the sight of a police constable with his gun drawn, prompting both of them to raise their hands.

"司機剛才聽到樓上的commotion。" (The driver just heard the commotion upstairs.) The constable said as he glared at Garfield and Lee squarely. "他停車出來找人幫忙時，我剛好在附近吃午飯。" (I was on my lunch break nearby when he stopped the bus and asked for help.)

Both Garfield and Lee swiftly let their guns hang by the tip of their fingers, during which the latter quickly flapped his suit jacket to reveal the police badge clipped to his belt.

"我是督察。" (I'm a police inspector.) Lee quickly said, and the constable relaxed his grip. "Stand down."

It was then that Garfield finally spoke in Cantonese.

"我是警察顧問。" (I'm a police consultant.) He explained. "我剛才只是教李督察要如何把槍枝從歹徒拿走。" (I was just teaching Inspector Lee how to disarm a suspect.)

At that remark, Inspector Lee slowly turned his head towards Garfield in surprise while a gong can be heard going off in the background.

* * *

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	5. At the scene and a necklace

Chapter 5: At the scene and a necklace

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, during which the young couple provided Lee and the PTU constable their statements on Garfield's heroic act of stopping the holdup gang, the constable immediately radioed in for more officers to handcuff the holdup gang.

It was during this time that Lee recognized the tattoo on the leader's chest, and he asked the PTU constable to make another phone call to Chief Inspector Ng.

Garfield arched his eyebrows when he saw that the couple didn't offer Lee any "tea money", nor did the inspector demand any as he got onto the phone.

As the officers arrive at the scene and await for Chief Inspector Ng, Lee turned towards Garfield.

"你真的有點好笑，吳先生。" (You're a little funny, Mr. Wu.) Lee said. "我們在機場的時候，你連一句白語都不說。" (While we were at the airport, you didn't speak a single word of Cantonese.)

Then, gesturing at the PTU constable, Lee continued, "後來，你在面對那三位搶劫犯和那位動部隊的警員時，你突然就開始說白語。" (Then, when you faced those three holdup men and that PTU constable, you suddenly speak Cantonese.)

Garfield simply shrugged at the remark and then said, "就說我剛才是在測試你的。" (Let's just say I was testing you.)

"做什麼?" (What for?) Lee frowned.

"我想你應該也知道你們警務處有「世上用錢所能買到的最佳部隊」之稱，李督察。" (I suppose you should be aware of you guys having the reputation of being the "best force money can buy", Inspector Lee.) Garfield replied as he turned towards the inspector.

Seeing the neutral look on Garfield's face, Lee scoffed.

"你如果以為我是那種要求茶錢的人的話，你想錯了!" (If you think I'm the type who would demand tea money, then you've thought wrong!) Lee placed his hands by his hips.

"我至少也需要確認一下。" (At least I have to make sure of that.) Garfield folded his arms. "更何況你剛才也向那位小販付茶錢的。" (Not to mention you just offered tea money to that street vendor.)

"他不只是一個小販。" (He's not just a street vendor.) Lee said. "他是給我幫派訊息的一個通知人。" (He's a contact providing underworld info to me.)

Garfield grunted, though before he could continue, another police car pulled up, and out came Detective Chief Inspector Gwong-Yuen Ng (吳廣源).

When Ng arrived, he wasn't exactly pleased to see Lee, though he relaxed at the sight of the three holdup men that were handcuffed.

"總督察。" (Chief Inspector.) Lee greeted.

"李督察。" (Inspector Lee.) Ng replied as he eyed Garfield, the young couple, the constables and the handcuffed holdup men. "我是不是錯過你最近的一個出包?" (I missed witnessing your latest blunder?)

"李督察沒有做什麼事，吳sir。" (Inspector Lee didn't do anything, Chief Inspector Ng.) The PTU constable explained before gesturing towards Garfield and added, "我們所以之能夠把這三位走私客逮捕歸案的功德是非吳先生莫屬的。" (Mr. Wu here was instrumental in our arrest of these three smugglers.)

"是的。" (That's right.) The male would-be victim nodded as he recounted Garfield's heroic actions.

The chief inspector nodded as he listened to the victim's recounts, then he turned towards Garfield.

"看來我們有你可以感謝的，吳先生。" (Looks like we've got you to thank, Mr. Wu.) Ng said before offering his hand and added, "吳廣源總督察。" (Detective Chief Inspector Gwong-Yuen Ng, by the way.)

"吳廣慶。" (Ng Gwong-Hing.) Garfield introduced himself as he shook Ng's offered hand. "請多多執教。" (Pleased to meet you.)

Ng nodded before asking, "說道這件事，你當初是如何跑到那輛巴士裡面?" (Anyways, speaking of this, how did you end up getting onto the bus anyways?)

"司機很確定他沒有看到你從前門或後門上車的。" (The driver was positive that he didn't see you board the bus from the front or rear doors.) The PTU constable added.

Glancing at Lee, Garfield replied, "我如果解釋的話，你們是不會相信的。" (If I explain, you all aren't gonna believe it.)

"試試我們吧。" (Try us.) Ng deadpanned as he noted Garfield's glance towards Lee. "說不定這跟李督察有關係。" (Perhaps this has something to do with Inspector Lee.)

"我又做了什麼?" (What did I do?) Lee defended himself. "我只不過是開去加拿大專員公署的路上去跟一位提供幫派訊息的通知人問一下署長女兒被綁架的訊息。" (I was simply seeking some info on the kidnapping case with an underworld contact while en route to the Canadian Commission.)

"看起來你是試著阻擾我去到公署的。" (Looks more like you were trying to prevent me from getting to the Canadian Commission.) Garfield deadpanned as he turned towards Lee. "更何況我是 **必須** 在我的包機降落後沒多久就去到公署的。" (Not to mention that I **needed** to get to the Commission as soon as my flight landed.)

"Hmm." Ng nodded in agreement before turning towards Lee and continued, "在這個情況下，你還站在這裡做什麼?" (In this case, what are you standing here for?)

"載吳先生和看好他並不是我想要在這個案上面唯一要做的事。" (Driving Mr. Wu around and looking after him isn't the way I wanted to be involved in the case.) Lee scoffed. "他們assign我這個無聊assignment時，朱sir和陳sir在開誰的玩笑啊?" (Who on earth were Chief Superintendent Chu and Superintendent Chin kidding when they assign me this boring assignment?)

With a huff, Lee then take his leave, and Garfield turned towards Ng briefly, who shrugged at him apologetically.

"不要在意李督察。" (Don't mind Inspector Lee.) Ng said. "關於升職為總督察上面，李督察被pass over了 **兩次** 。" (Lee has been passed over for a promotion to chief inspector **twice**.)

"Ah." Garfield nodded thoughtfully. "他一定在那件事上面心裡很納悶的。" (He must've be frustrated about that.)

"Don't get me wrong, 李有很大的promise。(Lee's got a great promise.)" Ng explained. "他已經有七年的經驗的。" (He's been on the force for seven years.)

"七年內從警員到督察。" (From beat constable to inspector in seven years.) Garfield said. "那很impressive。" (That's very impressive.)

"事實上，他是投考入警務處後成為見習督察的。" (Actually, he joined the force as a probationary inspector after completing the training and related examinations.) Ng clarified. "這跟我一樣。" (Just like I did.)

"原來如此。" (I see.) Garfield nodded thoughtfully.

* * *

A short while later, Lee and Garfield pulled up at the scene of the kidnapping in Shau Kei Wan.

"我們在這裡做什麼，李督察?" (What are we doing here, Inspector Lee?) Garfield demanded as they stopped at the intersection. "我不是跟你說過我需要馬上去到加拿大專員公署嗎?" (Didn't I tell you that I have to get to the Canadian Commission right away?)

Lee looked at Garfield in the eye as he said, "你還是不瞭解情況的，是不是?" (You still don't understand the situation, don't you?)

"什麼情況?" (What situation?) Garfield folded his arms as he glared at Lee.

"你真的認為你一到公署之後，被assign到這個案件的調查員就輕易的讓你去幫他們的忙?" (You really believe that once you get to the Commission, the investigators assigned to the case would let you join them in solving the case?) Lee asked.

Garfield only stood his ground, though he soften the glare on his face.

"你自己也說過了，這警務處有「世上用錢所能買到的最佳部隊」之稱。" (You've said it yourself. This force has the reputation of being "the best force money can buy".) Lee continued. "更何況，這警務處最近也在處理葛柏案上面也面臨不少的批評。" (Not to mention that the force has been facing severe criticism for its handling of the Godber case recently.)

Lee then added, "你很熟悉葛伯案的，對不對?" (You're familiar with the Godber case, aren't you?)

Garfield nodded as he recalled reading about the case on the international section of the paper back in Ottawa a few days ago.

In mentioning the Godber case, Lee was referring to a recently-retired chief superintendent that served as deputy commander of the Kowloon District who had mysteriously amassed millions of dollars in bank accounts overseas.

The force's anti-corruption branch investigated the mysterious wealth and ordered the chief superintendent to explain the source of funds, who then responded by arranging his wife to leave the colony a week ago.

A day later, the chief superintendent used his permit to bypass immigration and customs at Kai Tak Airport and boarded a plane to London, which resulted in public outrage over the integrity of the force's anti-corruption branch.

"我知道這個案件。" (I know about the case.) Garfield replied. "但這個案件跟我們在這裡有什麼關係?" (But what does it have to do with what we're doing here?)

"外交官保安組派我來執行這個assignment是有原因的。" (The Diplomatic Security Directorate has a reason for dispatching me to this assignment.) Lee explained. "他們說你如果在破案的過程中受重傷的話，這會破損警務處的形象的。" (They say that should you get seriously injured during the case, it will jeapordise the police force's reputation.)

Garfield scoffed at the explanation, and he shook his head before he examined Lee closely.

"你也不是那種只能看好別人的人，督察。" (You don't look like someone who can only look after someone else, Inspector.) Garfield said. "你一定是做了一件讓人感到不瞞的事而被派來看好我。" (You must've done something to push their buttons and end up getting assigned to look after me.)

Lee chuckled. "我是因為出包而被派來做這件事的，但他們這樣做好歹是要我考慮別的職位的。" (I did get assigned to this due to a screw up, though I'm sure they're doing this to me to make me consider other work opportunities.)

"Huh." Garfield grunted. "不過你當警察當了七年後，要考慮別的職位也不是很容易的事。" (But after being a cop for seven years, considering other work opportunities isn't gonna be easy.)

"說的也是。" (Exactly.) Lee nodded. "我寧願因為我那場出包後被降職或甚至被轉去別的警署或被suspend的，而非被派來做一件毫無意義的assignment。" (I'd rather get demoted or transferred away or get suspended as a result of that screw up, instead of being sent here to do a meaningless assignment.)

Then, looking towards the crime scene, he added, "更何況我知道那兩位真正被派去解案的調查員。" (And besides, I know the two investigators that are actually assigned to the case.)

"他們怎麼了?" (What about them?) Garfield raised an eyebrow.

"聽人說他們做事情做的不是很好的，也聽說他們是因為跟官員友關係而被派去解這個案子的。" (Word has it that they're not good in doing stuff, and I've heard rumours that they were assigned to the case because of some sort of connections they have.) Lee explained.

Then, as he lead Garfield to the scene, Lee added, "他們昨天已經來這裡尋找證據，但除了用來槍殺署長女兒保鏢和一個警員的子彈外，他們沒有找到其他證據。" (They've already combed through the scene for evidence yesterday, but other than the bullets fired by the gun used for the murder of the bodyguards of the commissioner's daughter and the police constable, there was no other evidence they've found.)

"Huh." Garfield grunted as he looked around. "我一點也不意外。" (I'm not surprised.)

Lee nodded in agreement before he said, "說不定你能夠找到他們沒有看到的證據。" (Perhaps you'll be able to find evidence they missed.)

* * *

Several minutes went by as Garfield combed through the crime scene, and he shook his head as the occasional car drove by.

Just typical of the sloppy investigative work done by police, and Garfield really felt that unless the people of Hong Kong stand up and give the government a big push, things aren't going to end well.

He can feel that Merton must be devastated about the news of his daughter's kidnapping, and Garfield can't help but shake his head.

While Hong Kong is someplace he has always fascinated about visiting, Garfield never thought that tragic circumstances like this will bring him to the Pearl of the Orient.

After what felt like hours, Garfield sighed as he joined Lee at the car.

"沒有找到任何東西?" (Didn't find anything?) Lee asked.

Garfield shook his head. "沒有。" (Nothing.)

"我也沒有。" (Me neither.) Lee shook his head disappointedly before waving to the car as he added, "該去公署了。" (Time to head to the Commission.)

Garfield nodded as he followed the inspector to his car, and the two men took their seats as Lee started the engine.

Just as Lee was backing the car out of its spot, a sharp light suddenly reflected onto the rear view mirror, blinding the duo.

"是什麼東西啊?" (What is it?) Lee asked as he covered his eyes and shifted the car back to park.

Garfield squinted as he put on the dark lenses for his glasses, then he looked towards the rear view mirror.

"看起來馬路上有東西在反太陽光的。" (Seems like there's something on the road reflecting the sunlight.) Garfield remarked before frowning and added, "形狀看起來很熟悉。" (The shape looks familiar.)

"下車去看是什麼東西。" (Get off the car and see what that thing is.) Lee instructed as Garfield unbuckled himself and got off the car.

Walking over to the object reflecting the sunlight, Garfield snapped on his plastic gloves again and knelt down before picking up the object, whereupon his eyes widened when he recognized it.

For a while, Garfield simply stared at the object as he stood up, and Lee was getting impatient waiting at the car.

"吳先生!" (Mr. Wu!) Lee called out. "你要遲到了!" (You're going to be late!)

When Garfield didn't respond, Lee honked the car horn, snapping Garfield back to reality and prompting him to return to the car.

Once Garfield buckled up, Lee asked, "你拿這個東西做什麼?" (What are you holding this for?)

Garfield turned towards Lee as he showed the object in his hand and said, "證據。" (Evidence.)

Lee arched his eyebrows as Garfield continued, "這是被害人穿的項鍊。" (This is the necklace worn by the victim.)

"你怎麼知道?" (How do you know?) Lee asked.

Looking at Lee in the eye, Garfield replied, "這是她來香港前，我給她的禮物。" (This is a gift I've given her before she came to Hong Kong.)

* * *

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	6. A misunderstanding at the Canadian Commission

Chapter 6: A misunderstanding at the Canadian Commission

**Time: 13:20 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Over at the Canadian Commission, Merton, Wilkinson, Chu and a few officers were in the former's office with the Canadian Commissioner pacing around his office anxiously.

"It's been more than 24 hours since my daughter has been taken, and still no word from the kidnappers?" Merton asked before he turned towards Wilkinson and added, "What do you suppose those kidnappers want? Shouldn't they have issued some demand by now? Or they've decided to-"

"Commissioner Merton, I can assure you that the kidnappers wouldn't have gone through the trouble of taking your daughter in broad daylight if they could've done worse." Wilkinson cut in. "But I do agree, it's perplexing that the kidnappers haven't issued any sort of demand in the first few hours after they've taken your daughter."

"There's gotta be something else going on here." Inspector Hung interjected. "Maybe-"

"I can see that." Merton grumbled. "In fact, I shouldn't be surprised that the bullets from Katie's bodyguards only matched the bullets from the murdered constable and that there wasn't-"

"Commissioner, as we've explained to you, whoever pulled this off knew exactly what they were doing professionally." Sergeant Hon said. "They were able to pick that specific time of the morning where that area would be deserted with no potential witnesses."

"The constable that directed their car onto the road has been diligently questioned." Chu nodded. "He swears that he only directed their car onto the road upon seeing the diplomatic plates and didn't want the travelers to waste time idling in the traffic jam."

"I'm sure there's more to that than what he was letting on, gentlemen." Merton scoffed. "In fact, who knows if he was on the take all along and that-"

"Like I've said, Commissioner." Wilkinson cut in. "It's still too early for us to jump to conclusions just yet and that speculation would-"

"Too 'early'?!" Merton turned around abruptly and faced the people in his office. "It's been, what, more than a day since my daughter was taken, and with no other viable leads in the investigation, you really don't expect me to-"

"Commissioner Merton." Chu urged. "Just because the leads we've got so far has been exhausted doesn't mean we're not working diligently to bring your daughter back safely."

Then, placing his hand on Merton's shoulder, Chu added, "As a father myself, I sympathize with your situation, and I can assure you that whatever lead that comes up will be chased down accordingly and will lead us to the culprits."

At that remark, Merton turned towards Chu before he reluctantly nodded.

"You'd better be right, PCS." Merton looked at him in the eye before turning towards the officers manning the telephone as he added, "You better."

* * *

Meanwhile, Lee and Garfield were speeding down the motorway en route to the Canadian Commission, during which they discussed the necklace found at the scene of the kidnapping.

Prior to taking off, Lee took the time to examine the necklace, where he noted that there was some dry blood on the sharp edge of the butterfly.

Judging from the way the lace was torn, the duo surmised that Katherine likely had used the necklace to defend herself against the kidnapper when she was being taken.

"如果這是真的的話，我們可以用項鍊上的血來查獲兇手的廬山真面目。" (If this really happened, we can used the blood on the necklace to identify the culprit.) Lee nodded as he drove upon surmising their theory on how the necklace came to end up on the road.

"沒錯。" (Right.) Garfield agreed. "但說到這個，你要怎麼拿項鍊去驗血?你剛才也說妳沒有被派去解案的。" (That being said, how are you gonna get the blood tested? As I recall, you said that you're not assigned to investigate the case.)

"你不用擔心那一部分。" (You don't need to worry about that part.) Lee reassured as they approached Central. "我來麻煩那一部分就好了。" (Let me worry about that part.)

"好吧。" (If you say so.) Garfield said, though he was still unsure by how Lee was going to accomplish that.

After all, he had overheard a number of the officers that responded to the call put forward by the PTU constable, whose name is Tse, earlier didn't exactly have anything favourable to say about Lee.

In spite of those thoughts, Garfield decided to shrug them off, just in time for Lee to pull the car into the building housing the Canadian Commission.

"你先過去。" (You go over first.) Lee instructed as Garfield unbuckled his seatbelt. "我需要找一個泊車位。" (I need to find a parking spot.)

"好的。" (Alright.) Garfield nodded before he got off the car, and then Lee drove off.

* * *

There were two uniformed police officers, both assigned to the Diplomatic Security Directorate of the RHKPF, patrolling the main gate leading to the building housing the Canadian Commission as Garfield arrived.

At the sight of Garfield approaching them, both officers frowned and the first constable, wearing one chevron on his sleeve, radioed in.

"我們有一個人走路來到前門了。" (We've got a man approaching the main gate on foot.) He radioed in. "他看起來是東方面孔的。" (He looks like he has East Asian facial features.)

Over at Merton's office, the officers stationed inside received the radio transmission, and Chu nodded at the squad of heavily-armed officers to be prepared.

"問他說他來這裡做什麼?" (Ask him what's his business here?) Sergeant Hon radioed back.

The first constable nodded in acknowledgement of the message, then he stepped forward as Garfield approached the gate.

"午安。" (Good afternoon.) The senior constable greeted Garfield as he paused. "你在這裡有什麼事嗎?" (Do you have any business here?)

"我來這裡找加拿大專員公署署長的。" (We're here to see the Canadian Commissioner.) Garfield replied. "我跟他有約時間碰面。" (I've got an appointment with him.)

"他稱說有約時間跟署長碰面。" (He claims to have an appointment with the Commissioner.) The second constable radioed.

"查他的證件。" (Check his papers.) Hon instructed.

The senior constable nodded before turning towards Garfield and asked, "先生，我能不能看一下你的證件嗎?" (Can we take a look at your papers, sir?)

Garfield exhaled as he wordlessly reached into the pocket inside his suit jacket, though in the process of trying to pull his wallet out of the pocket, he inadvertently dragged a rather small but bulky-looking envelope out of it and leading the envelope to drop onto the ground.

At the sight of the envelope dropping to the ground, the senior constable immediately pulled out his weapon.

"舉起你的手!" (Raise your hands!) The senior constable barked, prompting Garfield to raise his hands.

"他剛才掉了一個東西。" (He just dropped something.) The second constable radioed. "說不定是毒品。" (It might be illegal drugs.)

On the other end of the transmission, Hon repeated what the second constable had reported, and Chu glanced at the squad firmly.

"說不定他是從綁架署長女兒的兇手拿到毒品的。" (Perhaps the drugs were obtained from the culprits responsible for the kidnapping.) Hung remarked as she spoke to the squad.

At the remark, the officers in the squad all gripped their weapons and narrowed their eyes.

"說不定你是來找他麻煩的。" (Perhaps you're here to cause trouble to him.) The senior constable scoffed to Garfield.

"你們都不瞭解!" (You both don't understand!) Garfield shook his head. "這是跟署長的女兒有關。" (This is related to the Commissioner's daughter.)

However, the senior constable refused to put down his weapon, during which the second constable radioed in.

"他問候署長的女兒。" (He asked about the Commissioner's daughter.) The constable reported.

At the receipt of the message, Chu, Hon, Hung and the squad of officers all tensed.

"我有被邀來這裡的。" (I was invited here.) Garfield said desperately to the officers. "你們在犯下一個嚴重的錯誤!" (You guys are making a serious mistake!)

"除非你好好地向我們解釋情況的話，我們是不能-" (Unless you both fully explain your situation, we cannot-) The senior constable said, only to be cut off when Garfield suddenly lunged at him by swiftly grabbing onto his wrist, aiming his weapon towards the sky in the process, and pinched him.

Before the second constable could react, in the process of his gripping the senior constable, Garfield swiftly delivered a kick in the second constable's face, sending him downwards.

Upon effortlessly disarming the senior constable and knocking them to the ground, Garfield drew the seized weapon on both officers.

Over at Merton's office, Merton stood up from his seat as the officers heard the groans and kicks through the radio transmission.

"快走!" (Go!) Chu barked at the squad, who promptly nodded before they all rushed out of the office.

As that was happening, Merton asked, "What the devil is going on-?"

With no time to explain, Chu and Wilkinson immediately rushed over to cover the commissioner.

"Intruders, Commissioner." Chu explained briefly as he and Wilkinson tugged Merton's arm. "Follow us."

* * *

Back at the front gate, Garfield was staring down at the two constables he had just knocked out just as Lee arrived.

"吳先生，你怎麼還沒有進去-" (Mr. Wu, how come you're still out-) Lee was saying as he approached them, only to pause at the scene in front of him.

The inspector narrowed his eyes when he took in the sight of the two police officers Garfield had just knocked to the ground, and then he eyed the weapon Garfield has trained onto the two officers.

"剛才發生什麼事?" (What just happened?) Lee asked as he rushed over to Garfield, who immediately raised his left hand as he stared at the two constables.

As the two constables looked back at him, Garfield said, "我真的為此很抱歉。" (I'm really sorry about this.)

In a gesture of goodwill, Garfield raised the gun with his right hand and then proceeded to disassemble it swiftly and dropping the parts to the ground.

As that happened, Lee heard something and promptly grabbed Garfield's shoulder.

"有人來了。" (Someone's coming.) He urged. "快走!" (Let's go!)

Nodding, Garfield quickly rushed through the open gate with Lee close behind.

* * *

As soon as they were inside the main lobby of the building, the two men heard the lift's ding, and they quickly hid behind a nearby corner.

Watching the squad of heavily-armed officers rushing past them, Lee nodded at Garfield, who pointed at the nearby door to the stairwell.

Outside the building, the squad arrived just as the two constables were getting up.

At the sight of the squad, the senior constable said, "他們跑進去了!" (They got inside!)

Immediately, the squad leader waved his arm and the rest of the officers followed his lead back into the building.

When the squad returned into the building, the officers spread out to search for Garfield and Lee, though it was then that one of the officers noticed the door to the stairwell closing shut.

Signalling the others, the officer pointed at the closed door as he said, "他們往樓梯去!" (They went over to the stairs!)

The other officers nodded before they regrouped and rushed towards the door, kicked it open and then began climbing up the stairs.

Once the squad was out of sight, the door to the janitor's closet creaked open, and Garfield and Lee peeked out through the cracks.

Upon seeing that the officers were gone, Garfield stepped out as he said, "Coast is clear."

Lee nodded as he followed Garfield back to the main door, during which he added, "他們中了你的調虎離山之計，吳先生!" (They sure fell for your take the tiger out the mountain trick, Mr. Wu!)

As Lee was making the remark and looking towards the stairwell, he didn't see where he was going and ended up bumping into Garfield, who had stopped.

When the inspector turned around, he realised why Garfield had stopped: There were three more police officers in the lobby who didn't follow their squad up the stairs, and one of them had his gun drawn.

"不要動!" (Don't move.) The first constable barked before he turned towards Lee and added, "你也是。" (Same to you.)

Immediately, Lee flashed the badge clipped to his belt.

"我是督察。" (I'm a police inspector.) Lee said as he flashed his badge. "Stand down."

Upon seeing Lee's badge, the first constable relaxed a bit, though he had kept his weapon trained onto Garfield.

"Sir，你跟這位麻煩製造機在做什麼?" (Sir, what are you doing with this trouble-maker?) The second constable asked.

"是一個很長的故事。" (It's a long story.) Lee said. "我們是-" (We're-)

Before Lee could continue, Garfield took advantage of the first constable's distraction and quickly gripped the gun, where he aimed it towards the ceiling, before delivering a kick to the officer.

Swiftly disarming and knocking down the first constable, Garfield turned towards the other two officers, who were readying their weapons.

Not giving them a chance to use their weapons, Garfield then launched a punch to the second constable while delivering a kick to the third constable, then when the two officers counterattacked, Garfield immediately ducked and did a flip in the process.

With his legs straightening up as he flipped around, he quickly used the momentum to deliver a couple more kicks to the officers' faces.

As the two officers hit the ground, one of their guns fell off from the holster.

Once the two officers were down, Garfield then walked over to the second constable as he tried to reach for his gun and kicked the weapon away.

It was then that he saw that the third constable was missing, though he got a sense of where the officer was at when he felt someone approaching him from behind.

Before the third constable could swing his baton onto Garfield's head, Garfield abruptly reached upward and grabbed the baton in midair, stopping its process.

Lee looked on in astonishment as Garfield swung the baton forward, with the third constable still holding onto it, and brought the officer to the ground.

As soon as Garfield was done, they heard a "Ding!" from the lift, then he turned towards Lee and nodded towards the lift.

"快走!" (Let's go!) He urged just as the squad of officers that had went up the stairs emerged from the door to the stairwell.

As quick as foxes, Garfield and Lee rushed over to the opening lift doors, just as the officers at the stairwell spotted the three downed officers and their retreating backs.

"快去追他們!" (After them!) The sergeant shouted as he pointed towards the lift doors Garfield and Lee have entered through.

Immediately, the squad rushed over to the lift doors, during which Lee quickly press the close button.

Seeing the doors closing quick and unable to reach the lift buttons in time, a couple of the officers pull out their weapons.

Swiftly, Garfield and Lee hid behind the wall in the lift car just as the doors completely closed, during which they can hear the bullets ratcheting off the metal doors.

* * *

As soon as the lift car began moving upwards, Lee turned towards Garfield and said, "你應該知道他們會有人在八樓等待我們，對不對?" (You do realise that they're gonna have a reception committee at the eighth floor, right?)

"我當然知道。" (Of course I realise that.) Garfield said before nodding at the door hatch above them and added, "你在想我在想什麼嗎?" (You thinking what I'm thinking?)

Seeing the door hatch above them, Lee narrowed his eyes.

"你在開我的玩笑，吳先生!" (You've got to be kidding me, Mr. Wu!) Lee protested.

"那你寧願在電梯裡面當sitting ducks嗎?" (Then, are you willing to stay in the lift and be sitting ducks?) Garfield asked.

Lee frowned as he glanced at the signage above the door, where they were presently at the fourth floor and moving upwards.

Wordlessly, the inspector knelt down for Garfield to step on his shoulder, and he grunted as Garfield tried to push the door hatch open.

* * *

Over at the eighth floor, a squad of five officers were waiting for the lift carrying Garfield and Lee to arrive with their guns ready.

Hearing the lift approaching the floor, the senior constable leading the squad glanced at his colleagues and nodded firmly.

Immediately, the squad prepared their weapons just as the lift dinged.

"不准動!" (Freeze!) The senior constable barked as the lift doors opened, during which the squad all drew their weapons.

However, to their surprise, the lift was completely empty, and the senior constable glanced at his squad mates dumbfounded as they placed their weapons back into their holsters.

"不會吧?!" (Seriously?!) The senior constable exclaimed, during which one of the officers stepped into the lift car and looked up.

When he saw the still-open door hatch at the top of the lift car, he called out, "這裡!" (Right here!)

The rest of the squad joined him in the car, where they spotted the open door hatch.

With a nod, the senior constable beckoned them back to the office.

* * *

Meanwhile, Garfield and Lee were crawling through the ventilation shaft, with the shaft entrance being right above the lift doors at the eighth floor.

"還要多久?" (How much longer?) Lee asked as he crawled behind Garfield.

Looking down from the opening in front of them, during which he recognized the reception room of the Canadian Commission, Garfield then glanced back towards Lee and said, "已經差不多了。" (We're pretty much here now.)

"很好，因為這裡非常的擁擠。" (Good, because it's very crammed in here.) Lee replied.

Garfield crawled over the opening and continued on downwards, during which Lee asked, "你去哪裡?" (Where are you going?)

"你先在這裡下去。" (You get off here first.) Garfield replied as he crawled down the vent shaft.

Lee was about to open his mouth and say something, but seeing Garfield furiously crawling onwards, he sighed and then decided to follow Garfield's advice.

* * *

Over at the secure room, Wilkinson and a uniformed sergeant were keeping watch as Merton stayed in his seat, during which they began hearing something from the ventilation shaft opening from the other side of the room.

Glancing at Merton, Wilkinson arched his eyebrows before remarking, "Is the central air system okay?"

"It's been working fine." Merton replied. "Why'd you ask?"

As the sound approaches the opening, Wilkinson walked over to the shaft opening as he instructed, "Stay here."

Merton nodded as Wilkinson approaches the shaft opening, though what followed caught the trio off guard.

As Wilkinson peeked through the shaft opening, a leg suddenly appeared out of nowhere and delivered a swift kick in his face.

Merton and the sergeant jumped in surprise as Wilkinson hit the floor, though the former relaxed when Garfield emerged from the shaft opening.

The sergeant quickly scrambled for his weapon, but Garfield was quick to dispatch the officer by kicking the gun out of his hand.

Wilkinson swiftly recovered and lunged at Garfield, grabbing him by the wrists and attempted to handcuff him, and Garfield swiftly crouched forward and threw Wilkinson off his back and towards the ground.

Then, he caught sight of the sergeant trying to reach for his weapon, and as quick as a fox, Garfield quickly leaped over to the gun and used his feet to toss the weapon into his hands.

Catching the weapon and properly gripping it, Garfield drew it at the sergeant.

"Don't move!" Garfield barked, and the sergeant raised his hands in surrender as Wilkinson struggled to get up.

There was a brief moment of silence before Merton cleared his throat gently, and Garfield turned towards him.

"Garfield." Merton said warmly.

"Commissioner." Garfield replied as he walked over to Merton and shook his hand. "Sorry I'm late."

"Must be the rush hour traffic here." Merton quipped, and Garfield chuckled lightly.

It was then that they heard some noise from the other side of the closed door, and Merton walked over and opened it.

On the other side, Chief Superintendent Chu and the squad of heavily armed officers, as well as Hon and Hung, all drew their weapons towards the door, and they all looked surprised when Merton opened the door.

Seeing the heavily armed officers looking confused, Merton exhaled and glanced at Garfield before he turned back towards them.

"Chief Superintendent Chu, I can assure you all that there's been a misunderstanding." Merton said as he beckoned Chu, Hon and Hung into the secure room.

Once the trio were in the room and Wilkinson managed to pick himself up, Merton walked over to Garfield.

"Chief Superintendent Chu and Officer Wilkinson, I will like to introduce you all to Mr. Garfield Wu." Merton said as he gestured at Garfield. "He's the investigator I've called over from Canada to help out with the case."

Chu and Wilkinson both nodded as Garfield said, "And I will like to apologise for what just happened to your officers earlier, chief superintendent."

Then, he swiftly walked over to the sergeant and handed him back his gun, and the sergeant nodded as he took his gun back.

As that was happening, Wilkinson turned towards Chu and asked, "Where the devil is Lee?"

It was then that they heard a commotion at the reception room, and Garfield chuckled, "I believe you've got your answer, Officer Wilkinson."

As if on cue, the scene shifted towards the reception room, where Lee was struggling, in a rather comic fashion, to get out of the ventilation shaft opening with his legs kicking and accompanied by some mild cursing.

* * *

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	7. A ransom demand

Chapter 7: A ransom demand

A short while later, staff members at the Canadian Commission were able to set Lee free from the ventilation shaft opening.

During the course of the efforts, Garfield revealed to the officers he had knocked out earlier that the envelope he had dropped from his suit jacket simply contained a pocket watch that was given to him by Merton long ago.

The officers simply nodded understandingly, their faces burning from the misunderstanding earlier, during which Lee was finally set free.

"你下次要走條路的時候，記得不要選一條非常狹窄的路!" (Next time when you choose a route, remember not to choose a narrow route!) Lee said to Garfield as he pointed at the shaft opening he was just freed from. "我差一點就要悶在裡面了。" (I've almost suffocated in there.)

"你說不定應該要多運動一些。" (Perhaps you should do some more exercise.) Garfield shrugged as he glanced at the slightly excess pounds on Lee's wrist.

Lee frowned, though the frown subsided as Merton, Wilkinson and Chu beckoned them back to the commissioner's office.

Once they were gathered in Merton's office, Chu was prompt to introduce Lee.

"Commissioner Merton, I will like to introduce you to Detective Inspector Kîm-Fai Lee of Shau Kei Wan CID." Chu said as he gestured towards Lee while Hon, Hung and Wilkinson looked on. "He's very passionate about getting your daughter back safe and sound."

"Hello." Lee nodded as he took Merton's offered hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Commissioner."

"The pleasure's mine, Inspector." Merton replied as Garfield looked on. "I certainly hope you've got something that can help get my daughter back."

"As a matter a fact, both Inspector Lee and I do, Commissioner." Garfield said as he reached into his pocket, and Lee promptly turned towards him. "You see-"

Before Garfield could continue, Lee suddenly covered his mouth before cutting in.

"Well, what Mr. Wu meant was that he and I reached out to the underworld and see if they got any info that could pertain to the kidnapping, Commissioner." Lee quickly said, and Garfield glanced at the inspector as he spoke.

"Anything, Inspector?" Merton asked while Chu, Hon and Hung frowned at the inspector.

"We're working on it as we speak." Lee quickly said. "However, before I go any further, do you mind if I use your office phone, Commissioner?"

"What do you need it for, Inspector?" Merton asked.

"I just need to speak to my superintendent and keep him apprised of the developments." Lee quickly said as he glanced at Garfield. "He insists that I keep him posted on the case, and I've already gone through the trouble of getting an earful from him as a result of me missing out on posting him yesterday."

Merton glanced at Garfield, who sighed but nodded in agreement, then he nodded thoughtfully.

"By all means, Inspector." The commissioner said and gestured towards the desk phone before Chu could interject. "Just don't take too long."

"I won't, Commissioner." Lee nodded as he reached over and picked up the phone, during which Garfield glanced at Hon and Hung and noticed the way they were glaring at Lee.

"喂，我能跟陳國灣警司說句話嗎?" (Hello, may I speak to Superintendent Chin Gwok-wan?) Lee spoke.

"喂，這是警務處嗎?" (Hello, is this the police?) The party at the other end asked.

"什麼?" (What?) Lee asked, confused by the tone in the man's voice, and Chu, Garfield, Hon and Hung glanced at each other.

Just as Merton was about to ask, Garfield placed his hand up as the party at the other end of the phone asked, "我問這是警務處嗎?" (I'm asking if this is the police?)

"是的，這是警務處。" (Yes, this is the police.) Lee said, during which Chu walked over and tried to grab the handset away from him.

Lee quickly moved away from Chu, and Garfield's frown deepened when he got a very good idea on who Lee was speaking to.

"警務處?" (The police?) The man at the other end of the line asked.

"對，這是警務處。" (Yes, this is the police.) Lee said as he raised his other hand, during which Hung and Hon caught onto what was going on and the latter and a sergeant quickly manned the nearby phone-tracking system and put on the headphones.

Noting the confused look on Merton's face, Garfield glanced at him and nodded at him quietly as he placed a finger by his mouth.

Just as Merton was nodding understandingly, Lee placed the headpiece between hie ear and shoulder and his hands motioned for a pen and pad.

"Okay，你們如果要那位小女孩安全的回到他父親手中的話，你仔細地聽好。" (Okay, if you want the little girl to be returned safely to her father, listen carefully.) The man on the other end of the line instructed, during which the scene briefly shifted to a dark room where a man with a scar by his right eye was speaking to the phone.

"我在仔細地聽著。" (I'm listening carefully.) Lee snapped as Merton handed him a pen and pad.

"好，這是你的指令。" (Okay, these are your instructions.) The man said, and Lee gripped the pen as he prepared to write down the specifics. "勒索金是今天晚上十點drop的，付款是一百一十四萬元。" (The drop will be made at ten o'clock tonight, and the charge is one million and one hundred and forty thousand dollars.)

"114萬元?!" (One million and one hundred and forty thousand dollars?!) Lee exclaimed. "你在開誰的玩笑?你以為你是綁架了總督的女兒，是不是?" (Who do you think you're kidding? You think that you've kidnapped the Governor's daughter, right?)

Immediately, Hung glanced over at Lee, covered the mouthpiece attached to the headphones and snapped, "繼續讓他講。" (Keep him talking.)

Lee nodded, during which the man at the other end continued.

"使用的紙鈔面額不能超越紅底。" (The paper bills used cannot have a face value of more than the hùngdái (Hong Kong slang term denoting a $100 bill).) The man instructed.

"喔，好的，好的。" (Oh, alright, alright.) Lee nodded as he proceeded to scribble down the instructions on the pad. "114萬元，沒問題。" (One million and one hundred and forty thousand dollars, no problem.)

"我要的一百萬元是用紅底付的。" (The one million dollars I want is to be paid in hùngdái.) The man stated.

"一百萬元用紅底付的。" (One million dollars paid in hùngdái.) Lee nodded as he jotted that down.

"十萬元用青蟹付的。" (One hundred thousand dollars paid in chēngháaih (Hong Kong slang term denoting a $10 bill).) The man continued.

"十萬元用青蟹付的。" (One hundred thousand dollars paid in chēngháaih.) Lee repeated.

"然後最後的四萬元是用五元紙鈔付的。" (And the final forty thousand dollars is paid in five-dollar bills.) The man concluded.

"最後的四萬元用五元紙鈔付的。" (The final forty thousand dollars paid in five-dollar bills.) Lee nodded.

"另外，為了確認說你在仔細地聽著，這些紙鈔必須在..." (In addition, to ensure that you are listening carefully, the bills must be...) The man continued before dropping his voice down to a whisper, and Lee quickly put the pen and pad down and cover his left ear.

Garfield frowned as he glanced over to the officers at the tracking device and noted that they were busy trying to decipher the man's whisper, then he noticed Lee frowning as well as he quickly wrote something down on the notepad.

As soon as he finished writing the location of the drop-off on the pad, Lee demanded, "我要怎麼知道我們付你之後，女孩就會安全的回到他父親手中?" (How should I know that you will release the girl back to her father once we pay you?)

"你姓名是什麼?" (What is your name?) The man asked.

"什麼?" (What?) Lee demanded.

"我說你姓名是什麼?" (I said what is your name?) The man repeated, clearly agitated.

Lee narrowed his eyes before he asked, "你真是莫名其妙，你幹嘛需要我的姓名?你當初是打來我們這邊的。" (What the devil is wrong with you, why do you need my name for? You were the one who called us in the first place.)

"當我需要告訴署長說他的女兒死的時候，我會有害死他女兒兇手的姓名。" (When I have to tell the commissioner that his daughter's dead, I will have the name of the culprit responsible for the death.) The man replied nonchalantly. "他女兒的命需要依賴一個像你的烏鴉嘴。" (His daughter's life hanging on the balance of someone who talks too much like you.)

"好的，好的。" (Okay, okay.) Lee quickly said. "你不用這樣，先生。我在你的那一邊。" (You don't need to do this, sir. I'm on your side.)

"Hmm." The man grunted. "你們會在半個小時前會收到關於付款上的仔細的指令。" (You will receive detailed instructions regarding payment half an hour before the drop-off.)

Lee nodded as the man continued, "如果付款成功的話，署長的女兒會安全的回到她父親的手中。" (If the payment is successful, the commissioner's daughter will be safely returned to her father.)

"你會收到錢的，先生。" (You will receive the money, sir.) Lee said. "我保證。" (I swear.)

"你最好是。" (You'd better.) The man replied before hanging up the phone.

Lee stared at the headpiece as the dial tone rang in the background, then he wordlessly hung up the telephone before turning towards the others.

* * *

Shortly after the investigators explained everything from the phone call, it didn't take long for Chief Superintendent Chu, Inspector Hung and Sergeant Hon to chew at Lee for his handling of the ransom call.

"你知道你剛才那樣子插進去的行為差一點害死了被害人，對不對?" (Did you realise that the way you've butted in almost lead to the victim's death, right?) Chu snarled at Lee angrily. "更何況你又不是調查綁架案的調查員。" (Not to mention that you're not even the senior investigating officer for the kidnapping case.)

"Well,有人就是需要接電話的，不是嗎?" (Well, someone's gotta answer the phone, isn't it?) Lee retorted. "更何況看好吳先生不是我唯一在這個案件上做的事，朱sir。" (Not to mention that looking after Mr. Wu isn't the way I want to be involved in this case, Chief Superintendent Chu.)

"洪督察和韓警長已經在這個案上cover了不少的ground。" (Inspector Hung and Sergeant Hon have already covered a lot of ground in the case.) Chu said sternly. "他們不需要因為你而在這個案上面越幫越忙的。" (They don't need you to further complicate matters with your help.)

"喔，是嗎?" (Oh, is that right?) Lee leaned forward and pointed right at Chu in the chest as he continued, "既然你說琇娥和光瑜已經在這案子上cover了不少ground，他們怎麼還沒有把嫌犯逮捕歸案?" (Since you said that Denise and Leo have already covered a lot of ground in the case, how come they haven't arrested the suspect?)

"你注意你講話的口氣，督察。" (You watch your tone, Inspector.) Chu warned.

"所以換句話說，如果這個案子上只要有出錯，全部都是我的錯啊?!" (So in other words, if there are any screw-ups in the case, it's all my fault?!) Lee demanded as he refused to back down.

As Lee and Chu continued with their back and forth argument, Garfield glanced at Hung and Hon.

Both of them seem capable, though as Garfield gripped the evidence bag in his pocket containing the necklace, he frowned as he observed the two investigators.

Noticing the way Hung was whispering towards Hon, who then nodded and grinned maliciously at Lee, Garfield's eyes narrowed further.

He find himself thinking about what Lee had said earlier about those two, and feeling the evidence bag in his pocket, Garfield can't help but feel that his instincts are telling him something about those two.

"Garfield, what's going on?" Merton asked as he nodded at the arguing duo, and Garfield immediately turned towards him.

Glancing at Lee and Chu, Garfield shrugged.

"Let's just say that there's a difference in opinion between those two on how to proceed with the case." Garfield replied bluntly.

Watching Lee waving his arms, Merton scoffed and shook his head.

"All the while, my daughter is still being held captive." Merton said. "Just one major reason why I've asked for your help to take care of this case."

"I can certainly see that." Garfield nodded as he turned towards Lee and Chu.

By that point, Chu had finished making his point and sternly ordered Lee to keep watch on Garfield before turning towards Hung and Hon.

Watching the chief superintendent issuing his orders to the two investigators, Garfield turned back towards Merton.

"If you ask me, this is just too convenient." Garfield said to Merton.

"How do you mean?" Merton arched his eyebrows.

Garfield gently raised his right hand just as Chu walked towards them.

"At dawn, we'll be geared up to take down the kidnappers who have your daughter, Commissioner." Chu said to Merton. "You can rest easy that we're not gonna rest until your daughter is safe and sound."

"I certainly hope you're right, Chief Superintendent." Merton nodded.

Chu nodded back, then he turned around and joined Hung and Hon at the office door, during which he threw Lee another stern glare.

Lee simply kept his mouth shut until he, Garfield and Merton were alone in the office.

"Is there something I should know about, Inspector Lee?" Merton asked once they were alone.

"Before I was interrupted, I meant to tell you that Inspector Lee and I dropped by the scene on our way here, Dalton." Garfield said.

"Was there anything you both found that Inspector Hung and Sergeant Hon missed?" Merton raised an eyebrow.

Garfield glanced at Lee, who nodded at him, then he pulled out the evidence bag in his suit pocket.

"Katherine's necklace." Garfield responded as he handed the bag containing the necklace to Merton. "It was well-hidden in the pavement, and it's got some blood on it."

As Merton examined the necklace inside the bag, Lee continued, "Mr. Wu and I have surmised that the victim likely attempted to fight back against her abductors by using the necklace, which was pried loose by the kidnapper, as a defensive weapon."

"Explaining the blood on the sharp edge." Garfield added. "We can have the blood examined, which can then pinpoint the identity of the culprit."

Merton nodded thoughtfully as he handed the evidence bag back to Garfield, then he turned towards Lee as he added, "And what did your initial contact with your underworld contact reveal, Inspector?"

"So far, it's too early to say if what I've got is related to the kidnapping case, Commissioner." Lee replied. "Word has it that someone has bought out all of the fireworks in the area."

"Fireworks?" Merton raised an eyebrow.

"Like I said, it's too early to say if it's related to your daughter's kidnapping, Commissioner." Lee said. "However, prior to getting assigned to this 'babysitting' detail by PCS Chu, I was working a case involving the production and trafficking of counterfeit fireworks in the area, a case where we've established the major players who have a stake in the operations."

"And?" Merton asked.

"Chu said that your daughter's kidnapping was a professional operation, meaning that the culprit knew what he or she was doing and planned in great detail ahead." Lee explained. "As far as I'm concerned, only the major players in the gangs have the capability and sophistication to pull this off."

"The same major players that have stakes in the production and trafficking of counterfeit fireworks." Garfield interjected.

"Precisely." Lee nodded.

Merton arched his eyebrows briefly as he and Garfield glanced at each other, then the commissioner nodded thoughtfully.

"Sounds like the field of suspects have been narrowed down." Merton remarked.

"Yes, though like I said, it's too early for me to draw to that conclusions without the information I need to piece together." Lee continued before placing his hand on Garfield's shoulder as he added, "Which is why Mr. Wu and I need to get going right now."

"Right." Garfield nodded in agreement.

"In that case, I won't hold you both up much longer." Merton said as Garfield and Lee made their way to the office door.

As the duo opened the door and prepared to step out, Merton stopped them and said, "One more thing, gentlemen."

"Yes?" Lee asked as he and Garfield turned towards the commissioner once more.

Looking at them both in the eye, Merton said, "Please bring Katherine back safe and sound."

Garfield and Lee glanced at each other before they both nodded.

"We will, Commissioner." Garfield said before he and Lee stepped out of the office.

Once he was alone in his office, Merton exhaled and placed his hands on his forehead as he glanced at the photo of him and Katherine taken at Banff with the _Canadian_ in the background.

* * *

**Please read and review!**


	8. At Quarry Bay

Chapter 8: At Quarry Bay

**Time: 15:20 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

As soon as they were speeding down the road, Garfield turned towards Lee as he gripped the steering wheel.

"我們現在要去哪裡?" (Where are we going now?) Garfield asked.

Lee didn't respond for a while, then when they approached a red light, the inspector turned towards him.

"我們要先去北角分區把項鍊拿去驗血。" (We're heading over to the North Point Division to have the blood on the necklace tested.) Lee explained. "同時，我也需要問我們今天逮捕的那三位敗類一些跟綁架案有關的問題。" (In addition, I need to ask some questions regarding the kidnapping case from those three thugs we've caught earlier.)

Garfield frowned. "我以為朱總警司下令你不准再插進去的。" (I thought that Chief Superintendent Chu ordered you not to butt in anymore.)

"誰要管他說什麼?" (Who cares what he says?) Lee scoffed. "你真的以為那兩位會輕易的在你不幫他們忙的前提下就會解案嗎?" (You really think that those two will easily close the case without your help?)

"我需要承認他們兩人看起來是...我不曉得要如何解釋這個..." (I gotta admit that those two look like...not sure how to explain this...) The frown on Garfield's face deepened as he made the remark, during which the light turned back to green.

As Lee stepped on the gas, Garfield continued, "...那種需要別人協助來做事情的人。但就算如此，你這麼早就這樣對他們下結論不是對這個案子沒有任何幫助的嗎?" (...the type that needs someone else's help in getting things done. But even then, wouldn't you jumping to conclusions this soon hinder progress on the case?)

"相信我，他們兩人被派去結這個大案不會有任何正當的結果。" (Believe me, it's not good news when they're assigned to a major case like this.) Lee said.

Garfield turned towards Lee and asked, "他們到底是對你做了什麼事而造成你對他們有一個強烈的反感?" (What on earth did they do to you that resulted in your distrustfulness towards them?)

Lee frowned as he came to another stop at a red light, then he turned towards Garfield.

"就說我當初跟他們一起結一個案期間傻傻的顧好他們的爛攤子，導致我事後被記警告。" (Let's just say that my foolish decision to safeguard their side jobs during a case I've worked with them resulted in my receiving a reprimand.) Lee said. "更何況這也造成我沒有升職為總督察。" (Not to mention that it also resulted in me not receiving a promotion to chief inspector.)

"Hmmm." Garfield nodded thoughtfully. "是什麼樣的爛攤子?" (What sort of side jobs are we talking about here?)

"向店面要求保護費和茶錢，再加上走私假貨和違法賭博。" (Demanding protection money and tea money from stores, in addition to smuggling counterfeit products and illegal gambling.) Lee responded. "我當初以為那是他們臥底的assignment，但後來我被記警告的時候才察覺到他們的廬山真面目。" (I've thought that that was part of their undercover assignments, but it was after my reprimand that I realised that those were activities they're actually involved in.)

Garfield gasped. "那你怎麼事後沒有去你的上司糾正?" (Then how come you didn't went to your superiors to set the record straight?)

"我有。" (I did.) Lee scoffed before gesturing towards the rear of the car and added, "既然你剛才在公署看到他們兩人，更何況他們是派去結案的調查員，有看起來我的上司有處理我的糾正嗎?" (And given that you saw those two at the Commission, not to mention them being the investigators assigned to the case, does it look like my superiors took care of the situation?)

"就算如此，你至少可以去反貪污部投訴的。" (Even so, you could've reported the matter to the Anti-Corruption Branch.) Garfield said.

"就算它辦案表現有如「只打蒼蠅，不打老虎」。" (Even if its investigation is useful for catching flies only and not tigers.) Lee glared at Garfield in response. "你因該也知道警務處鬧部問題已經嚴重到只要反貪污部對某人員做出調查的話，調查員本人到時候也會因為take over爛攤子而被揪出來的。" (You should also know that rot in the police force is such a big problem that once the Anti-Corruption Branch investigates someone and roots the subject out, the investigators themselves will then take over and enter the dealings.)

Then, as he glanced at the traffic light, Lee then added, "你說他們這樣子做有效力嗎?" (You really think that their methods are effective?)

Garfield frowned before he nodded thoughtfully. "說的也是。" (You've got a point there.)

Then, as the light turned green once again, Garfield continued, "不過，要是朱總警司發現你還是繼續地在案件上面插進去的話，我可以保證你鐵定會以抗命的罪名被開除的。" (However, should Chief Superintendent Chu finds out on your butting into the investigation, I can guarantee that you'll find yourself in deep trouble for insubordination.)

"當那件事情發生的時候，我來處理就好了。" (When it comes to that, I will take care of it.) Lee said as he kept his eyes on the road. "你不用擔心那一部分。" (You don't need to worry about that part.)

* * *

A short while later, the duo were at the North Point Division station in Quarry Bay.

DCI Ng was in the CID bullpen going through some files with a few other CID investigators when Lee and Garfield arrived at the squad room, and the chief inspector turned around and frowned when he saw Lee walking through the doorway with Garfield.

Ng glanced at the investigators he was conferring with earlier, who quickly returned to their work, before he beckoned Lee and Garfield to his office.

"我能為你們做什麼事?" (What can I do for you both?) Ng asked as he closed his office door.

Lee turned towards Garfield, who reached into his suit jacket and pulled out the evidence bag containing the necklace.

"這是我們在綁架的現場找到的項鍊。" (This is the necklace we've found at the scene of the kidnapping.) Lee explained as Ng glanced at the necklace. "它上面有兇手的血。" (It has the culprit's blood on it.)

Ng narrowed his eyes as he examined the necklace inside the evidence bag, then he looked at Lee upon seeing the blood on the sharp edge.

"你們怎麼確定說血是兇手的?" (How do you both come to the conclusion that the blood is the culprit's?) Ng asked. "更何況你們怎麼知道這個項鍊跟綁架案有關?" (Not to mention how did you know that this necklace is connected to the kidnapping case?)

"因為這個項鍊是被害人的。" (Because this necklace was worn by the victim.) Garfield replied, and Ng turned towards him. "她和她父親來港前，這項鍊是我給她的禮物。" (Before she and her father came to Hong Kong, this necklace was my gift to her.)

Ng nodded thoughtfully at Garfield's explanation before he said, "然後你們需要驗血嗎?" (And you need to have the blood tested?)

"是的。" (That's right.) Garfield and Lee both nodded. "我們需要透過結果來看看兇手是誰。" (We need the results to identify the culprit.)

"不用再多說了。" (Say no more.) Ng nodded before he glanced at Lee and frowned.

Noting the disapproving look on Ng's face, Lee asked, "怎麼了?" (What?)

"陳sir和朱sir知道你們在這裡嗎?" (Does Superintendent Chin and Chief Superintendent Chu know that you're both here?) Ng asked as he took off his glasses.

Garfield turned towards Lee, who immediately shook his head.

"朱總警司已經下令李督察不准在案子上面插進去，也說洪琇娥督察和韓光瑜警長已經在案子上面cover了不少ground。" (Chief Superintendent Chu has already ordered Lee not to butt in on the case, adding that Inspector Denise Hung and Sergeant Leo Hon have already covered a lot of ground on the case.) Garfield explained to Ng.

"更何況他說我的職位就是看好吳先生，也盡量不要讓他插進去。" (Not to mention he said that my job is to take care of Mr. Wu and that he should avoid butting in.) Lee scoffed. "他也提到警務處的形象在balance上。" (He also mentioned the police force's reputation being on the balance.)

Ng narrowed his eyes and shook his head at the mention of the head of the DSD.

"那位白癡。" (That idiot.) Ng remarked as he shook his head before turning to Lee and added, "我一點也不意外你不會遵守朱sir的命令的。" (I'm not surprised that you would disregard Chief Superintendent Chu's orders.)

Then, he glanced around briefly before he added, "朱sir總是給我這種...做事做的不是很好的印象。我也一直對他管理事情的方式上面沒有任何自信。" (Chief Superintendent Chu has always give me the impression that...he doesn't do things right. I also never had confidence in his style of management.)

Garfield glanced at Lee, who nodded in agreement, during which Ng held the evidence bag containing the necklace.

"另外，那兩位真正去調查綁架案的調查員洪琇娥督察和韓光瑜警長..." (Also, the two investigators assigned to the case, Inspector Hung and Sergeant Hon...) Ng continued as he gripped the evidence bag. "你們在現場找到項鍊向我們證明兩件可能性。" (The fact that you both located this necklace at the scene proves two possibilities.)

Garfield and Lee glanced at each other, and Ng placed the evidence bag onto his desk.

"第一:他們兩人調查能力不是很好，事情老是做的很草率。" (First: Either their investigative abilities are not good at all and that everything they've done is largely sloppy work.) Ng said.

"或者是...?" (Or?) Garfield prompted.

"第二:綁架案說不定有牽扯到他們兩人。" (Second: They may have something to do with the kidnapping itself.) Ng continued. "我寧願不知道哪一個可能性比較嚴重。" (I'd rather not know which one of those two possibilities is worse.)

"不只是你一個人，總督察。" (Not just you, Chief Inspector.) Lee interjected. "我也不曉得哪一個比較嚴重。" (I'm not sure which one is worse.)

"Hmmm." Ng grunted as he nodded in agreement before he fixed his stare at Lee and continued, "這也是為何我願意幫你們做你們的調查。假設你們乖乖地遵守朱sir的命令的話，我可以保證洪和韓他們兩人結案會拖得很久。" (This is also why I'm willing to help out with your investigation, because should you both blindly obey Chu's orders, I can guarantee that Hon and Hung are gonna drag this case out for very long.)

"更何況我們沒有多少時間尋找被害人和逮捕兇手的。" (Not to mention we're running out of time searching for the victim and arresting the culprit.) Garfield nodded.

"不過，我也需要你跟我保障你不會在這段期間給我出包。" (That being said, I need you to guarantee that you won't foul up during this time.) Ng said as he glared at Lee.

"我怎麼可能會搞砸我prove我自己的機會?!" (And what makes you think I'm gonna ruin my chance to prove myself?) Lee folded his arms.

"就說我需要確保你不會給朱sir和陳sir機會把你調離這的案子的。" (Let's just say I need to be sure that you don't give Chu and Chin a chance to have you reassigned from the case.) Ng said. "你在週二搞砸我的臥底任務已經夠離譜了，不要再給他們任何把你dismiss的原因了。" (It's already bad enough that you've screwed up my undercover operation, let's not make matters worse and give them the ammunition they need to have you dismissed.)

Lee nodded firmly, and Ng leaned back onto his chair.

"還需要什麼嗎?" (Anything else?) The chief inspector asked.

Garfield glanced at Lee, who quickly said, "事實上，我們還有一件事情在這裡要做。" (Actually, there's something else we need to get done here.)

Ng narrowed his eyes. "說。" (Speak.)

* * *

A short while later, Garfield and Lee were lead down to the holding cells at the station with files in hand.

Chief Inspector Ng lead them to the interview room, where a uniformed constable was standing guard at.

Upon seeing the trio approaching, the guarding constable pulled out the door keys and unlocked the door.

Garfield and Lee soon made their way into the interview room, and they both narrowed their eyes when they saw the leader of the holdup gang they busted earlier seated on the other side of the table handcuffed.

The leader of the holdup gang was staring at the table when the door opened, and he looked up when Garfield and Lee entered the room.

"林振祥先生。" (Mr. Lin JinXiang.) Garfield spoke in Mandarin as he and Lee took their seats and placed the files on the table.

Lin only stared at the two men while Ng and a uniformed constable watch the interactions from the observation room.

"我認為我有權利看一個律師的。" (I believe I have a right to a lawyer.) Lin said.

Lee glanced at Garfield, who nodded curtly, both of them expecting the response.

Swiftly, Lee turned towards Lin as he flipped open the file.

"事實上，那不是很簡單的，林先生。" (Actually, it's not easy, Mr. Lin.) The inspector said in Mandarin. "只有香港居民有權利看律師的。" (Only residents of Hong Kong have a right to a barrister.)

Then, Lee flipped to a page on the file and continued, "你的案件說你在港沒有status或一個地址，更何況你也有一個很長的紀錄。" (Your file indicates that you got no legal status or known address in Hong Kong, not to mention you have a lengthy record.)

Although Lee wasn't exactly telling the truth regarding his remark that only Hong Kong residents have a right to a barrister, he was banking on the gangster not knowing that.

Garfield narrowed his eyes at Lin as he briefly glanced at Lee, during which Lee listed through the charges on the file.

"勒索罪、搶劫、殺人未遂罪、共謀謀殺罪、生產和走私假鈔、山寨槍枝和煙火。" (Blackmail, robbery, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and the production and smuggling of counterfeit currency, firearms and fireworks.) Lee continued. "這一系列的罪名的確很長。" (The list of charges goes on.)

Glaring at the two men, Lin exhaled.

"在這個情況下，你等著至少25年的有期徒刑的。" (Based on this, you're looking at at least 25 years behind bars.) Lee matched Lin's glare. "除非你願意回答幾個問題。" (That is, unless you're willing to answer a few questions.)

Lin looked up. "什麼問題?" (What questions?)

* * *

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	9. The gang files and a suspicious encounter

Chapter 9: The gang files and a suspicious encounter

**Time: 16:10 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

A short while later, Lee and Garfield were making their way to the Shau Kai Wan police station after finishing up at Quarry Bay.

During the drive, the two recounted what Lin had told them at the Quarry Bay police station.

"所以這裡幫派有一個新的玩家買光這一區的槍枝。" (So a new player in the area has bought out all of the firearms in the area lately.) Garfield remarked during the drive.

"對，不過那位林先生宣稱說他不知道姓名的。" (Right, but Mr. Lin claimed to not know the name.) Lee nodded and scoffed.

"更何況這說不定跟你說的這一區幫派的主大玩家毫無關係的。" (Not to mention that this wouldn't exactly line up with what you said about the major players of the gangs in this area.) Garfield added.

Lee grunted as he slowed the car down, and it was then that Garfield noticed that they're approaching Shau Kai Wan, as indicated by the sign they just drove by.

Before Lee pulled the car into the parking garage near the police station, he dropped Garfield off at the station entrance.

"你在這裡等我。" (You stay here and wait for me.) Lee instructed as Garfield got off.

"好的。" (Of course.) Garfield nodded before the inspector drove off.

As he waited for Lee to park the car, Garfield took the time to observe his surroundings.

Most notably, his attention was directed towards the nearby uniformed police officers going out on patrol.

Glancing towards the horizon and seeing the boiling hot sun in the distance, Garfield exhaled as he began to fan himself.

It might be in the mid-late afternoon, but Garfield sure felt the heat.

As he watched the constables going out on patrol in their uniforms, Garfield sure didn't envy them.

 _他們說不定感到非常的熱。 (They must be feeling very hot right now.)_ Garfield thought to himself as he noted the dark navy blue dress tunic, trousers and peaked cap worn by the constables.

Eventually, Lee joined Garfield and nodded towards the station entrance. Without another word, Garfield followed the inspector into the station.

Arriving at the CID squad room, Lee led Garfield to his cubicle.

Garfield frowned as he watched the inspector pull out a file from a drawer at his desk, and he leaned forward to take a closer look at the file after Lee opened the file.

"這係你針對這一區的幫派擁有的資料嗎，係不係?" (This is the file containing the information you've got on the organized crime gangs in the area, isn't it?) Garfield prompted.

"係的。" (That's right.) Lee nodded as he pulled out his notebook and flipped through the pages for the notes he had just jotted down from their information-gathering earlier.

Just as the inspector flipped through the pages in his notebook, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"金輝。" (Kîm-Fai.) The voice said, and Lee paused and turned around, revealing DI Long to be standing behind him.

As Lee arched his eyebrows, Long continued, "陳sir要你從公署回來的時候去他辦公室。" (Superintendent Chin asked you to come to his office as soon as you returned from the Canadian Commission.)

Garfield turned towards Lee and his eyes narrowed as the mood on Lee's face darkened.

 _該不會是壞消息吧? (Could it be bad news?)_ Garfield wondered to himself as Lee got up from his seat.

Lee glanced towards him briefly and nodded towards the office, and Garfield nodded back before he followed the inspector to the superintendent's office, his hand still holding the file Lee had handed him.

When the duo arrived at the office door, the uniformed probationary inspector informed them that Superintendent Chin had stepped out for a minute and will be returning in a few minutes.

At that, the duo both took a seat and Garfield once again flipped open the file.

"你說這一區幫派的大玩家系哪些?" (Who are the big players of the gangs in the area?) Garfield asked as he flipped open the file.

Lee reached over to pull out a few documents from the file one-by-one, during which he began to list out the names.

"首先，我們有像新義安和14K的兩大玩家。" (First off, we've got the two major players like Sun Yee On and 14K.) Lee said.

Garfield nodded as he held the files handed to him from Lee, during which the inspector continued, "然後，我們有和新洋、大一塊和恆光瑜的這三個大玩家在這一區爭地盤的。" (And then, we've got three addition large players in the form of Wo Sing-Yoang, One Piece and Forever Enlightened active in this area fighting for control and influence.)

"Hmm." Garfield grunted as he scanned the files, during which he noted that Forever Enlightened was formed in the aftermath of infighting within the One Piece organisation a few years back.

Just as Garfield was getting a good look in the contents of the files, a pair of footsteps approaching the office attracted their attention, and Lee promptly stood up.

Noting the dark look on the inspector's face and the way he stiffened and placed his fists by his sides, Garfield figured who the pair of footsteps were coming from and he promptly slammed the file shut and stood up.

Sure enough, the moment Garfield stood up and stiffened, his hands forming into tight fists, Superintendent Chin Gwok-Wan stormed right into the waiting area.

The superintendent paused when he spotted Lee and Garfield both standing at attention, then he made his way to his office with the duo following close behind.

"我想要知道你係不係很清楚你在這的案件的責任係什麼嗎，督察?" (I want to know if you have any idea what your responsibilities in this case are, Inspector?) Chin asked sternly as he led Lee and Garfield into his office.

Lee blinked as the superintendent motioned him to take a seat, during which Garfield stood at the doorway.

"朱sir說我的責任就係要看好吳先生的，不係嗎?" (Chief Superintendent Chu says that my responsibility was to look after Mr. Wu, isn't it?) Lee responded as he gestured towards Garfield.

Chin looked up towards Garfield, who nodded at him firmly as he stepped forward before extending his hand.

"吳廣慶先生。" (Mr. Garfield Wu.) Garfield introduced himself, and noting the St. Edward Crown on the superintendent's slip-ons and nameplate, added. "請多多執教，陳警司。" (Pleased to meet you, Superintendent Chin.)

Chin nodded as he shook Garfield's offered hand before responding, "係我的pleasure，吳先生。" (It's my pleasure, Mr. Wu.)

The superintendent then frowned as he turned towards Lee and added, "可惜我現在需要處理一件只顧我和李督察的事，所以我建議您出去在我辦公室門外等。" (Unfortunate, at the moment I need to take care of something that concerns only me and Inspector Lee, so I suggest that you go out and wait outside my office door.)

Garfield glanced at Lee, who nodded at him firmly as if to reassure him that he's got everything under control.

With a firm nod, Garfield turned around and made his way out of Chin's office and closed the door on his way out.

Once he stepped out of Superintendent Chin's office, Garfield exhaled before he proceeded to return to his seat.

Sitting down, he then flipped the file back open and scanned through the contents inside.

The frown on Garfield's face deepened as he flipped through the pages of the individual gang files, starting first with the ones who has operations in North America, in particular, Canada.

He was searching for the gangs that have major operations in Canada, reasoning that the kidnapping of the daughter of a Canadian diplomat in Hong Kong could've only been in retaliation of Canadian authorities conducting raids that severely crippled the gang's major operations.

Much of the reports in the file detailed up-to-date intelligence in the strengths and capabilities of each of the gangs, in addition to known members.

Reading on, Garfield eventually narrowed down onto One Piece and its splinter rival Forever Enlightened.

Prior to the split, One Piece, at its peak had operations spanning from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore to the west coast of Canada and the United States.

The organization's head goes by the name of Yikui, though no one knows what the man looks like, nor were there any sort of confirmation on the man's last known whereabouts.

Garfield narrowed his eyes when he moved onto Lu, Yikui's right hand man who he had came close to capturing during the raid at Vancouver weeks ago.

Just like any members of the gang, Lu had quite the list of charges, with extortion, armed robbery and assault being just a few of the named examples of charges he has faced.

Reading on the file on One Piece, Garfield noted that the organization's operations has taken a significant hit in recent years.

The formation of the Corrupt Activities Investigative Service (監察院貪污調查局) in 1965 severely impacted the organization's operations in Taiwan, and couple that with the Singapore Police Force's efforts in further cracking down on organized crime, it was only a matter of time before One Piece's operations take a major dip.

To top it all off, the gang's leadership was plagued by infighting, which itself severely limited the gang's ability to expand.

It was the infighting within the leadership of One Piece that produced Forever Enlightened in 1969, and it was said event that further reduced One Piece's reach to only in Hong Kong and the Canadian West Coast.

Considering the recent raid at the Port of Vancouver and the gang's difficulties lately, Garfield surmised that One Piece was the most likely to consider retaliatory measures against the Canadian Commissioner.

However, it wasn't just One Piece that came under Garfield's radar. With Katherine in One Piece's captivity, Garfield also figured that he can't let her end up becoming caught in the crossfire should an all-out gang war break out between One Piece and its rivals.

It was that surmise that led Forever Enlightened under Garfield's radar as he flipped through the pages in the file.

He was briefly interrupted from his reading when he heard what sounded like shouting from Chin's office, and Garfield glanced at the closed door briefly before shaking his head and resumed reading.

He first scanned the pages detailing members of the gang, starting first with the leader Kwok Yu (郭瑜).

Reading the leader's files, Garfield noted that for years, Kwok was Yikui's main right-hand man and has a lengthy record with charges of assault and extortion.

Turns out that Kwok never got along well with Lu during their time together in One Piece, and it was noted that the two main henchmen had heated disagreements over aspects of the gang's operations.

Lu find Kwok to be too cautious and conservative, not willing to take risks and, in Lu's words, doesn't have the chops to do what it takes to get things done.

In turn, Kwok considered Lu to be arrogant and reckless, pointing out that a number of Lu's actions had came dangerously close to resulting in One Piece losing control of its territories, though Lu countered that it was his willingness to take risks that enabled One Piece to further expand its influence.

It was tensions between Kwok and Lu that resulted in the infighting and subsequently led to Kwok and those siding with him leaving One Piece to form Forever Enlightened.

Moving on, Garfield was soon scanning the file on Kwok's second-in command, a man that goes by the name of Adam Fong (馮安生), who is also in charge of the gang's operations in the American West Coast.

However, unlike Kwok, Lu or Yikui, Fong is currently serving a twenty five-year prison sentence for extortion, smuggling, counterfeiting and money laundering at San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco, which is where Forever Enlightened's American operations were based at.

Garfield felt a sense of urgency building inside him as he finished reading the reports in the file.

Clearly both One Piece and Forever Enlightened have their operations overseas decimated, which also means that with Hong Kong the only place they've got left for their operations, and couple that with the tensions that simmered between the two rivals, it's only a matter of time before a spark is all it takes for an all out gang war to break out between them.

The last thing Garfield needs is for Katherine, still in captivity, to get caught in the crossfire.

As Garfield slammed the file shut and exhaled, the office door leading to Superintendent Chin's office opened.

He promptly stood up as Lee emerged from the office with a frown on his face, and glancing towards Chin, Garfield figured that Lee must've had another round of the usual barrage from the superintendent.

Lee simply motioned Garfield to follow him back to his desk, and Garfield wordlessly followed suit.

Once they were back in the squad room, Garfield turned towards Lee and arched his eyebrows.

"發生甚麼事?" (What happened?) Garfield asked as he nodded towards Chin's office.

"有人向陳sir對我告狀說我有帶你去到犯罪現場的。" (Someone told on me to Superintendent Chin, saying that I've brought you to the scene of the crime.) Lee responded with a huff.

"就算你被下令說你不准再案子上插進去的，係不係?" (Even though you were ordered not to butt in on the investigation anymore, right?) Garfield scoffed before shaking his head. "不意外。" (Not surprised.)

Lee only grunted before saying, "無論如何，我們不能再浪費時間管三七二十一的事。" (Either way, let's not waste more time on all this small stuff.)

"更何況我們等一下晚上還要去drop的地方去執行逮捕歹徒的任務。" (Not to mention we still have to go to the place of the drop tonight to capture those responsible.) Garfield nodded.

Lee nodded in agreement before he picked up his suit jacket and nodded at the files Garfield was holding. "你在這些檔案裡有找到任何東西嗎?" (Did you find anything in the files?)

Garfield glanced around briefly before he nodded. "等我們離開警署之後我會跟你解釋。" (I'll explain after we're out of the station.)

Lee nodded thoughtfully as he figured out Garfield's drift before he glanced around and then added, "那我們在等甚麼?" (Then, what are we waiting for?)

* * *

**Time: 18:22 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Garfield was lucky that the hotel External Affairs had booked him into was just a couple blocks down the street from Lee's flat, and he exhaled as he sat on his bed and looked at his reflection on the television.

He had discussed his findings while they were at Lee's flat, and the inspector nodded about the possibility that One Piece may be responsible for pulling the kidnapping.

Lee also shared his concern about the potential for an all-out gang war between One Piece and Forever Enlightened, especially with the possibility that the victim could get caught in the crossfire.

It was clear to them that the sooner they find the victim and extract her out, the better.

Either way, upon unpacking his luggage, Garfield decided to go grab something to eat for dinner.

He and Lee have agreed to meet up later at 19:30 before heading over to the Canadian Commission, where further instructions in payment would be communicated to by the kidnappers.

Anyways, during the drive back to Lee's flat, they drove by a restaurant which Lee mentioned to have top-notch service and food.

With the restaurant located a good distance away from the hotel, Garfield figured that he could take the tram for dinner, and then hop on it and get off at the stop right next to Lee's flat.

Eventually, Garfield was on the top deck of the tram as it came to a complete stop at a red light.

While looking out the window, Garfield was ready to take his camera out and capture a few snapshots when a man on the sidewalk attracted his attention.

Recognizing the man in question, Garfield frowned.

 _那不是陳國灣警司嗎? (Isn't that Superintendent Chin Gwok-Wan?)_ Garfield thought to himself as his eyes narrowed onto the man.

Sure enough, unaware that Garfield was observing him from the nearby tram, Superintendent Chin was causally walking down the sidewalk before making the turn onto a narrow alleyway.

Garfield's eyes narrowed when Chin stopped about five metres into the dark alleyway, and it was then that another man stepped forward.

From what he could see, the man Chin was meeting with had plenty of tattoos on his arms, and Garfield certainly didn't like the looks of the man one bit.

Glancing around to ensure that no one else on the top deck of the tram was observing him, Garfield swiftly pulled out his Polaroid.

Chin and the man exchanged a few words briefly before Chin handed him a paper bag. Without hesitation, Garfield zoomed onto Chin's hand and snapped several shots as the man accepted the paper bag from the superintendent.

Unaware that he and Chin were being observed by Garfield on the tram, the man briefly examined the contents inside the paper bag before whipping out another bag and handed it to Chin.

Figuring what might be inside the bag Chin is now holding, Garfield quickly snapped more photos.

It was then that the lights ahead turned green, and the tram resumed its trip down the street.

As the tram continued on down the street, Garfield examined the developed photos from the Polaroid.

He had gotten a good look of the faces of Superintendent Chin and the man he was meeting with, and Garfield narrowed his eyes further.

* * *

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	10. In a warehouse and an explosion

Chapter 10: In a warehouse and an explosion

**Time: 21:45 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Lee did not say a single word when Garfield handed him the photos of Superintendent Chin meeting with the suspicious man when they met up later at the station, and Garfield placed his hands on his hips as the inspector examined the photos.

Garfield looked on as the facial expression on Lee's face turned serious, then the inspector exhaled and turned towards Garfield.

"你係在叮叮泊車的時候拍到這些照片的嗎?" (You took these photos when the tram was at a stop?) Lee asked as he held the photos.

"係的。" (Yes.) Garfield nodded.

Lee grunted as he nodded thoughtfully, then he said, "我不曉得您對此上面係有甚麼想法，但係我知道陳sir在吳總督察早期在職期間曾經係他的上司。" (I don't know what are you thinking here, but what I do know is that DCI Ng used to be assigned under Chin's command in his early days.)

Garfield nodded again, during which Lee continued, "不過吳總督察對陳sir並沒有任何良好的印象，說不定你拍到的這些相片會解釋一切的。" (However, Ng never quite liked Chin very much, and perhaps these photos you've captured would explain everything.)

"他認得出相片裡的那位歹徒嗎?" (Will he recognise the thug in the photo?) Garfield arched his eyebrows.

Before Lee could respond, he made a quick glance at his watch and noting the time, he said, "稍後再討論。" (We'll discuss it later.)

Garfield nodded before they proceeded to walk over to the warehouse, where Hon, Hung and a PTU squad headed by a sergeant were standing by.

Hung scoffed as she saw Lee approaching with Garfield, and she folded her arms.

"所以這係那通打去公署的要求索金的通話的來源。" (So this is where the ransom call to the Commission originated from.) Garfield said in greeting as they meet up.

"係的。" (That's right.) Hung nodded as she gestured towards the warehouse and continued, "這間倉庫係曾經用來儲存加工過的海鮮，不過它事實上係一個運毒的中心點之一。" (This warehouse was used for storing processed seafood, though it was actually a major centre for drug trafficking.)

"兩年前，我們在發現這間倉庫的真正目的後下令它關上門。" (Once we've discovered its true role, we've ordered it shut down two years ago.) Hon added. "在這一區等待新開發期間，這間倉庫係一個吸引犯罪的地方。" (With this area awaiting redevelopment, this warehouse becomes a major attraction for crime.)

"哼。" (Hmm.) Garfield grunted as he nodded thoughtfully at Hon's explanation.

"我們現在在這裡等甚麼?" (What are waiting for here?) Lee said as Hung turned towards him. "我們不係應該進去..." (Shouldn't we be...)

"我們在等後援的PTU入伍。" (We're awaiting for the backup PTU to fall in.) Hung cut in sharply before Lee could finish. "更何況朱sir不係下令你不准在這個case裡插進去的嗎?" (Not to mention didn't Chief Superintendent Chu ordered you to stand down and not butt in further in the case?)

Lee scoffed. "你們真的以為我會願意讓你們把這個案子給屠宰起來的嗎?" (You really think I'd be willing to stand by and watch you both butcher up this case?)

Hung narrowed her eyes. "你注意你講話的口氣，金輝。" (You watch your tone, Kim-Fai.)

"注意口氣的應該係你，琇娥。" (You're the one who should be watching your tone, Denise.) Lee shot back. "難道你忘了我們兩人之間，哪一位係大幫的。" (Perhaps you've forgotten that between the two of us, which one of us is the SIP (Senior Inspector of Police).)

"你也可以問說我們三人之間，有哪兩位係真正被assign去解這的案子的。" (You can also ask that between the three of us, which pair of us are the ones assigned to this case.) Hon challenged Lee crossly as he stepped forward.

"更不用說我們三人之間，哪一位在警務處的未來係依據他有沒有在case上面又出包。" (Not to mention that out of the three of us, which one of us has his future in the police force on the line, depending on whether or not he's gonna have another screw up in the case.) Hung added crossly.

Lee turned his glare towards Hon and Hung, and with tempers flaring, Garfield could tell immediately that if neither of the trio have their badges, then there would be fist cuffs by now.

Even so, a quick glance at his watch reminds him just how urgent the task at hand is, and he quickly stepped in to the middle of the quarreling trio.

"好了，你們夠了沒?" (Alright, have you guys had enough?) Garfield said as he pushed Lee and Hung aside. "我們現在在這個案子裡已經來到關鍵點了，我們不能再被我們之間的摩擦給干擾下去!" (We're reaching a critical point in the case now, and we can't afford to get carried away by whatever beef there is between us!)

Hung, Hon and Lee only stared at Garfield in response, and Garfield simply fixated his glare at them.

"你們係一個隊的一部分，我在這裡主要的目標就係幫你們順利的破案，同時也成功地解救被害人的!" (You three are part of a team, and my main purpose here is to see to it that you guys close the case smoothly, in addition to successfully rescuing the victim!) Garfield continued as he folded his arms. "我問你們如果警察們不能好好的互相合作，那這裡有警務處係做甚麼的?!" (May I ask if cops can't work together, then what's the use of having a police force here?!)

There was another long pause between the trio as Garfield glared at them one by one, then they all sighed and nodded, though none of them spoke another word following Garfield's outburst.

Fortunately, the awkward silence was broken when the backup PTU squad arrived at the scene.

The station sergeant, who appeared to be of Eurasian descent, approached them and asked, "DI Denise Hung?"

Garfield paused his lips when it became apparent that the station sergeant spoke no word of Cantonese, judging from the lack of an accent in the senior NCO's voice.

"Yes, that would be me." Hung nodded as she stepped forward, during which Lee glanced towards Garfield.

As Hung conferred with the station sergeant, Garfield glanced back at Lee, though the frown on his face remained even though he had relaxed the glare somewhat.

Lee only exhaled as he placed his hands on his hips, then Hung turned back towards him, Garfield and Hon.

"準備好。" (Get ready.) Hung instructed.

Lee, Hon and Garfield only nodded firmly in reply as the former two reached into their holsters for their respective weapons.

* * *

**Time: 21:57 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

As soon as the breach into the abandoned warehouse was initiated, Garfield kept a good distance from the back as the officers breached into the warehouse with their weapons drawn.

Several moments went by as the squad of officer broke up into smaller tactical units and searched the individual rooms of the warehouse, and Garfield stepped forward with his flashlight on and joined Lee, who stood behind in the main room by the entrance.

The pair looked on as the officers all reported "Clear!" from the rooms they were searching, and they once again shared glances with each other.

"你有任何想法嗎?" (Any thoughts?) Lee asked.

Garfield frowned as he looked around with his flashlight shining at various corners of the main room in the warehouse, then he blinked briefly.

"我不曉得。" (I don't know.) Garfield shook his head. "但在此之前，有一件事情一直在煩我。" (But before all of this, there's something that's been bothering me.)

"係甚麼事?" (What is it?) Lee raised an eyebrow.

"他們能夠輕而易舉的找到要求索金通話的來源..." (They were able to trace the origin of the ransom call this easy...) Garfield trailed off briefly before he inhaled and continued, "我不知道，但這實在太簡單了。" (I don't know, but this is way too easy.)

Lee nodded thoughtfully as he followed the light from Garfield's flashlight as it shined towards the truss structure supporting the roof above them, during which the squad of PTU officers regrouped in the main room with Hung, Hon and the station sergeant.

As the squad pondered their next moves, Lee frowned when he noticed something flashing at one particular corner of the roof, specifically at where the trusses meet.

"等等..." (Wait a minute...) Lee said as he pointed upwards, and Garfield followed his gaze towards the roof. "你看到屋頂那個角落的閃紅燈嗎?" (Did you see the flashing red light at that corner of the roof?)

Garfield frowned as he looked towards Lee was pointing at, during which something started to ring in the background.

As Garfield was trying to pinpoint where exactly Lee was pointing at, Hon turned towards the source of the ringing and spotted a telephone on the nearby column.

A couple of PTU constables followed Hon's gaze and walked towards the ringing telephone, during which Garfield located the flashing red light and shined his flashlight towards it.

When he got a better look at the source of the flashing red light, Garfield could make out a foreign-shape object placed right at the intersection point between the supporting steel trusses.

"撐住屋頂的檁條有東西..." (There's something lodged in the truss structure supporting the roof...) Garfield reported, though when he recognized the shape of the object in question, his eyes widened as he trailed off.

Even in the distance and darkness, he could make out the shape of a fuel cell and some wires linked to the object with the flashing red light.

"可惡!" (Blast!) Garfield muttered, and Lee turned towards him in concern, though he immediately sensed something was wrong when he saw the urgent look on Garfield's face.

At that very moment, both of them realised something and turned towards the telephone that was the source of the ringing, in time to see one of the PTU constables unhooking the receiver and answering the call.

What followed happened in slow motion. As the PTU constable unhooked the receiver, the ringing stopped, during which the flashing red light from the device on the truss flashed more rapidly, and Garfield lurched forward with his right arm stretched forward.

"大家趴下!" (Everyone down!) Garfield barked.

Just as Hung, Hon and the PTU officers turned towards Garfield in confusion, the faint beeping from the roof accelerated briefly before it was followed by a light explosion that nonetheless shook the structure of the warehouse.

As the explosion hit, everyone did get down as Garfield barked urgently, and some debris from the roof came crashing down onto the floor.

When everything cleared, everyone got up and Garfield shined his flashlight towards where the bomb had just blown up.

Through the light, he could see the damage from the explosion that caused a massive disconnect between the intersecting trusses supporting the roof structure, and it was then that the scene zoomed onto his left eye.

GARFIELD'S FLASH VISION

The first thing that the flash vision revealed was the existing state of the trusses supporting the warehouse's roof structure, during which a closer look at the structure revealed corrosion in the steel beams.

"在倉庫被關上門的這兩年期間，沒有人去檢修屋頂和其他的結構。" (During the two years the warehouse was shut down, no one has inspected or maintained the roof and structural components.) Garfield narrated.

Several snapshots depicting the heavy rainfalls, including those from typhoons hammering the city during the season, saw some of the water dripping into the warehouse as a result of poor drainage design, evidenced by the signs of moisture on the concrete floor.

"當初原主設計倉庫時，屋頂的結構並沒有妥善的設計好。" (During the initial design by the original owner, the roof's structure was never properly designed.) Garfield observed. "這造成下雨的時候屋頂一直不停的漏水，更而造成支撐屋頂的檁條的腐蝕。" (This results in the roof leaking frequently during rainfall, which also leads to corrosion in the truss structure supporting the roof.)

Snapshots of the roof soon led to Garfield picturing the materials used for construction, and a quick observation led to Garfield making a quick calculation of the roof area and thickness, which in turn enables him to compute the dead load the roof is applying onto support trusses.

The fact that the steel beams in the support truss were deforming indicated that either the design engineer grossly underestimated the dead loads the roof is subjecting the support truss to or that the truss was shadily constructed, which rendered the truss system as inadequate for supporting the roof.

"屋頂設計的不當導致築成檁條的鋼鐵樑扭曲的變形。" (Poor design in the roof results in severe deformation and buckling in the steel beams comprising of the support truss.) Garfield observed. "屋頂負荷過重，檁條又設計的過輕，那表示當初倉庫屋頂沒有垮下來就已經很不錯了。" (The rooftop dead load was too heavy, and couple that with the truss structure that has a rather light load capacity, it's a miracle that the warehouse roof haven't collapsed at all.)

Then, removing the junction point between the trusses and add in the damage sustained by the explosion, Garfield can see that the truss could no longer sustain the load from the roof.

"爆炸之後，檁條負荷量被刪減的很大，再加上鋼鐵梁又扭曲變形，這表示屋頂要在幾秒內垮下來的!" (After the explosion, the truss load capacity and structural integrity has been severely compromised, and couple that with the severe deformation in the steel beams, it's only a matter of seconds before the roof comes crashing down!) Garfield narrated.

END FLASH VISION

Sure enough, as Garfield snapped back to reality, the group could hear groaning from the roof above them.

Picking up the buckling in the steel beams with his ears, Garfield quickly waved his hand towards the entrance as he shouted, "快跑!" (Run!)

Everyone else needed no further urging, as the buckling in the steel was a quick and urgent reminder of the roof's impending collapse.

Without missing a beat, everyone started running towards the entrance with Garfield pushing Lee by the back.

What followed was the roof tumbling down towards the floor, bringing down dust and debris in its wake.

* * *

**Time: 22:05 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

By the time the bomb squad and paramedics arrived at the scene, the extent of the damage became clear.

Even though the explosion was fairly minor in scale, the fact that it was placed in a critical junction in the support truss system and coupled with the deterioration of the steel beams in the truss resulted in the abandoned warehouse completely levelled to the ground following the roof collapse.

Although everyone that was inside the warehouse made it out in one piece, a number of officers had to be tended by paramedics as the bomb squad scanned the area for any other explosives.

Garfield looked on as the scene unfolded with his hands by his hips, during which Lee approached him.

"我們剛剛踏入陷阱。" (We just stepped right into a trap.) Lee said as he joined Garfield.

"鐵定係的。" (We definitely did.) Garfield nodded. "一定係兇手知道我們的一舉一動。" (Must be the culprit being fully aware of our moves.)

"更何況這個爆炸案也係兇手要傳達給我們的訊息。" (Not to mention this explosion is also a message the culprit wants to send to us.) Lee agreed. "這個爆炸案證明兇手並沒有在偷雞，要求索金的一句話係真的。" (The culprit, in setting up this explosion, was telling us that he or she wasn't bluffing and that he or she meant a single word that was said in the ransom demand.)

Garfield nodded again. "我們真的需要趕快。" (We really need to work fast.)

Lee only grunted as Garfield looked around, his eyes narrowing as he scanned their surroundings.

In addition to first responders and the bomb squad, there were also a number of people gathered nearby to observe what had just happened.

Several of the other police officers were on hand in keeping the crowd of onlookers away from the scene and maintaining order, and some of the crowd began to scatter away.

Just as Garfield turned around towards the darker alleyway nearby, he paused when he recognized a figure casually watching the whole thing going down while enjoying a smoke.

His eyes widened as he realized who that figure was, and he immediately stepped forward.

"盧振島!" (Lu Chun-Tao!) Garfield shouted, and almost immediately, Lu discarded his cigarette and took off running.

Without missing a beat, Garfield took off after Lu, during which Lee turned around and saw Garfield running.

"吳先生?" (Mr. Ng?) Lee asked.

When Garfield continued running, Lee immediately took off after him and shouted, "吳先生!" (Mr. Ng!)

* * *

**Please read and review!**


	11. A chase, struggle and another lead

Chapter 11: A chase, struggle and another lead

**Time: 22:08 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Lu continued running down the dark alleyway without looking back, and it was clear that he was bent on losing Garfield, considering the fact that he was picking up speed as he ran.

Without missing a beat, Lu approached the gate leading to a nearby construction site.

As per usual, the gate was locked up for the night, though the sharp wires attached to the top of the locked gate didn't deter Lu from climbing on the gate.

Just as he was about to reach the wires, Garfield managed to catch up to him and lunged towards him.

"想都別想!" (Don't even think about it!) Garfield shouted as he lunged at Lu and grabbed him by the waist of his jacket.

Undeterred by Garfield's warning, Lu delivered a kick right in his chest, causing Garfield to lose his grip on the right side of the waist.

As Garfield was dangling with his left grabbing onto Lu's waist, the gangster attempted to shake him off.

In spite of the lingering pain from the kick Lu has delivered, Garfield remained undeterred and continued to hold onto Lu by the waist.

Just as Garfield was about to grab onto the back of the collar on Lu's jacket with his right hand, Lu abruptly elbowed him in the armpit, causing Garfield to momentarily let go and leap back onto the ground.

Lee managed to catch up just as Lu managed to tug his hands on the top of the gate and flipped over the wires, then to his astonishment, the gangster effortlessly landed on the other side of the gate on his feet before taking off once again.

The inspector turned towards Garfield, only for him to charge right towards the gate and leaped into the air.

"吳先生，你在做-?" (Mr. Wu, what are y-?) Lee spoke, though he was cut off in mid-sentence when Garfield's hands caught onto the top of the gate.

With his hands holding onto the top of the gate, Garfield gritted his teeth as he placed his feet onto the gate surface.

Before Lee could continue, without missing a beat, Garfield gripped onto the top of the gate and, like Lu did, flipped himself upwards and over the wires.

Lee only looked on in astonishment as Garfield spinned while sailing through the air, as if he was performing acrobatics, then he landed right on the ground at the other side of the gate.

As Garfield dusted himself, Lee grabbed onto the bars on the gate and shook it.

"吳先生!" (Mr. Wu!) Lee said, though Garfield ignored him and took off after Lu.

"吳先生!" (Mr. Wu!) Lee repeated as Garfield took off, but with Garfield not stopping, the inspector frowned before he looked up towards the top of the gate.

Eying a possible spot for him to hold onto the top of the gate, Lee grunted as he stretched his arms.

"好吧。" (Alright.) The inspector grunted as he grabbed onto a higher part of the gate and tried to pull himself upwards. "看能不能爬欄杆的。" (Let's see if we can climb up the gate, eh?)

Meanwhile, up ahead, Garfield wasted no time rushing into the building, where he paused to examine his surroundings.

Lu was nowhere to be seen, and the former air cadet narrowed his eyes as he scanned the area.

Just then, he felt movement behind him, and Garfield turned around, just as Lu emerged from a dark corner with a crowbar in hand and the hook dangerously close to his forehead.

Without missing a beat, Garfield swiftly grabbed the crowbar before the hook could strike him, and Lu responded by swinging the crowbar to his left.

Momentarily too focused on stopping the crowbar from hitting him, Garfield lost his balance as he was swung towards Lu's left, and the gangster wasted no effort delivering a kick towards his thigh.

Caught off guard by the kick, Garfield fell to the floor and landed on his back, during which Lu took advantage of the situation and swung the crowbar right at him.

In the last minute, Garfield rolled to his right and missed getting hit by the crowbar, and Lu grunted as he pulled the crowbar up and attempted another swing at him.

This time, Lu swung harder at Garfield, who managed to roll to his left and get out of the way in time, and the hard swing resulted in the crowbar getting stuck in the hole it created in the floor.

As Lu grunted in an effort to get the crowbar unstuck from the floor, Garfield, who had did a complete roll around, lifted his legs and delivered a kick right into Lu's chest.

Caught off guard by the kick, Lu stumbled backwards as he let go of the crowbar, and Garfield used the momentum from the kick to lift himself upwards and land back on his feet.

When Lu regained his posture, Garfield swiftly held his hands up with a face that reads, "En garde!"

Lu only frowned as he held his hands up as well, then he spotted a fire axe in its case nearby and without hesitation, he grabbed the axe and wielded it, passing it between both hands.

Garfield only narrowed his eyes, and he kept his hands in the air as he nodded towards Lu.

Without missing a beat, Lu charged towards Garfield and swung the fireman's axe right at him.

In each occasion that Lu managed to take his swing, Garfield manages to duck and counterattack with slaps, kicks or punches towards the gangster, several of which Lu managed to block effortlessly.

Then, Lu decided to slice low with the axe, and Garfield promptly leaped into the air and did a spin, during which he stretched his right leg out and delivered a kick right into Lu's chin.

With a scowl, Lu then attempted to take another swing at him by aiming high, and Garfield swiftly swung low, avoiding the axe in mid-air, and used the momentum from his second spin to deliver another kick, this time at Lu's legs.

As Lu got knocked off his feet, Garfield glanced around and upon spotting the discarded crowbar, used the momentum from the spin and kick to reach towards the crowbar.

With his feet landing, Garfield grunted as he inserted the top end of the crowbar in between his legs and used them as a lever to dislodge the crowbar and send it spinning upwards.

Upon landing back on the floor, Garfield promptly reached over and grabbed the spinning crowbar with his left hand before turning it towards his front and slapped it with his right hand, as if he was presenting arms.

With the crowbar now securely in his hands, Garfield turned his attention from the crowbar back to what was in front of him just as Lu recovered and charged towards him with the axe in hand.

The duo proceeded to cross swords in the literal sense of the term, except that instead of swords, they were using their respective weapons in hand.

Both of them gritted their teeth as they engaged in their duel, and neither of them intend to throw in the towel just yet.

Then, Lu decided to take another low swing at Garfield, and he promptly leaped into the air.

While in mid-air, Garfield swiftly spun around and delivered another strike towards Lu with the crowbar.

A soft "bang!" can be heard, and Lu paused as Garfield landed on the floor.

The gangster reached over to feel his right temple, the spot where Garfield had just slapped his head with the crowbar earlier.

There was no blood, though he can feel the scar Garfield has left on his right temple with the crowbar, and he glared at Garfield.

With a hint of a smirk on his face, Garfield waved the crowbar as he shook his head and did a number of dental clicks.

In response, Lu charged right towards him once more with the fireman's axe in hand, and Garfield gripped the crowbar.

Once again, the duo were engaged in another intense duel, though this time, Garfield managed to use the crowbar to slap right at Lu several instances.

Once such instance occurred when Lu swung the axe downwards towards Garfield, only for him to move out of the way and slapped the crowbar at the back of Lu's head.

Another pause went by before Lu charged towards Garfield, this time with the axe above his head with the intent of swinging it downwards onto Garfield.

However, before the axe could reach Garfield, he swiftly swung the crowbar and inserted it right at Lu's exposed right armpit, prompting the gangster to pause.

Following a brief glaring match, Garfield jabbed the crowbar right into Lu's armpit, pushing him backwards and prompting Lu to pause and think of something quick.

Determined and unwilling to let Garfield take him, Lu made another charge and once more engaged in a duel with Garfield.

This time, though, Garfield was swift in striking the crowbar right at several parts of Lu's back and leg, and he wasted no time slapping the crowbar right at Lu's right hand, disarming the gangster as a result.

Without missing a beat, Garfield promptly kicked the fireman's axe, sending it spinning towards a nearby wall.

In that very moment, Lee, who managed to make it over the gate, was charging right into the room.

The inspector was about to take another step forward when the axe suddenly spun right in front of him, and the inspector quickly stopped himself and watched the axe inserted itself into the wall, right at the spot where he would've been at if he hadn't stop when he did.

Seeing the inspector in the room and Garfield closing in on him, Lu promptly took off running.

"吳先生!" (Mr. Wu!) Lee shouted, though Garfield quickly took off after Lu and prompting the inspector to follow suit.

A short while later, Garfield had chased Lu to the second floor, where the gangster spotted a discarded large hammer resting on a nearby worktable.

Without missing a beat, Lu grabbed the hammer and threw it right towards Garfield before he continued running.

The hammer was spinning as it sailed through the air with the head facing towards Garfield, and he was swift in raising his left hand and snatched the hammer in mid-air before it could fall towards the floor.

Garfield promptly returned the hammer back to the worktable before resuming his chase, though he paused when he saw that Lu was nowhere to be seen, in spite of the lack of exits in front of him.

By that point, Lee had managed to get up the stairs leading to the second floor, and as he approached Garfield, he spotted Lu at a corner ready to jump at Garfield.

Without hesitation, the inspector shouted, "你後面!" (Behind you!)

Garfield turned towards Lee with his eyebrows arched, though Lu's battle cry quickly prompted him to leap upwards, in time for Lu to slide under him.

As Lu slid under Garfield, he swiftly reached up and grabbed Garfield's legs, pulling him down towards the floor.

When Garfield hit the floor, Lu was quick in throwing another punch, and Garfield swiftly blocked the punch.

However, Lu quickly took advantage of the momentum by rolling around and leaped back up into the air before landing on his feet.

With Garfield still on the floor, Lu swiftly attempted to stomp right on him, though Garfield was quick in rolling around and moving out of the way.

At one point, when Lu attempted to stomp at Garfield, he ended up stepping his foot through a loose floor, creating a hole and causing him to trip.

Without missing a beat, Garfield rolled around before jumping up, in time for Lu to recover and charge towards him.

In the ensuring struggle, Garfield promptly pushed back on Lu before he could get a stranglehold on him, sending the gangster towards a nearby opening.

Lu ended up at the edge, and before Garfield or Lee could get to him, he jumped from the edge and towards the dark street below.

"不!" (No!) Garfield and Lee both shouted as Lu jumped, and the duo promptly rushed over to the opening.

Much to their surprises, Lu managed to land unscratched, and it was then that a black car came rushing down the street.

Sharing glances at each other, Garfield and Lee motioned for the stairs when they saw the black car stopped right at where Lu had landed.

Immediately, Lee pulled out his weapon and aimed it towards the car, during which Lu wasted no time getting on.

Before Garfield could stop him, Lee pulled the trigger and fired several shots towards the black car as it sped away down the street.

None of the shots stopped the car, though one of them hit the left tail light of the speeding vehicle, evidenced by the sound of shattering glass.

Lee put down his weapon as the black car disappeared around the corner, and Garfield walked towards him.

"你剛才那樣子做有必要嗎?" (Was that really necessary?) Garfield asked and Lee turned towards him.

Lee merely shrugged in response as he said, "至少我們到時候要尋找那輛車會很容易的。畢竟有很少還開在馬路上的車有一個碎掉的尾燈。" (At least it would be easier for us to track down that car. After all, not a lot of cars are driving on the road with a broken tail light.)

Garfield only grunted in reply as he turned around towards the spot where he was in a scuffle with Lu earlier, and his eyebrows arched as he noticed something laying on the floor.

"他另外也掉了一個東西。" (He also dropped something here.) Garfield said as he gestured towards the item in question, and Lee turned around and followed his gaze.

Snapping on a pair of plastic gloves, Lee promptly knelt down and picked up the object in question and held it in the air.

"看起來係一個用來引爆炸藥的雷管。" (Looks like a detonator used for setting off explosives.) Lee said as he and Garfield examined the object.

Garfield nodded before turning towards the inspector and asked, "你認為你能不能查這個雷管係從哪裡來的嗎?" (Do you think you could trace the origins of this detonator?)

Lee sighed as he turned towards Garfield, and then he said, "我知道誰可以幫我們，但這個人跟我有摩擦的。" (I know who can help us, but the guy doesn't exactly see things eye to eye with me.)

"你係甚麼意思?" (What do you mean by that?) Garfield raised an eyebrow.

* * *

**Time: 22:58 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

The help Lee mentioned was in the form of none other than his previous partner, Sergeant Choi Kei-Hing, who got demoted to uniform following the botched sting operation this past Tuesday.

Suffice to say, Choi wasn't exactly impressed to see Lee and Garfield when the former came to him for help, especially since their arrival came just as he was to be deployed on another graveyard shift.

Choi only listened patiently as Lee explained the situation before getting on with the detonator they've recovered from Lu, and the sergeant promptly folded his arms.

"所以你們需要我幫忙查這個雷管的來源嗎?" (So long story short, you guys need me to help trace the origins of this detonator.) Choi said as he held up the detonator.

"係的，警長。" (That's right, Sergeant.) Garfield nodded. "李督察有提到你先前曾經有處理炸藥的經驗，所以你係最好幫我們的幫手。" (Inspector Lee mentioned that you've had bomb disposal experience before, so you're our best bet.)

Choi kept his eyes on Lee as he asked, "陳sir知道你們有「搜查」到這個雷管的嗎?" (Does Superintendent Chin know about you drawing up this detonator during a "search"?)

Both Lee and Garfield shook their heads.

"我根本也不應該親自去調查這一案的。" (I'm not even supposed to be investigating this case.) Lee added. "但在你說一句話之前，你應該知道真正被調去解這一案的-" (But before you say anything, you should know that the ones assigned to this case-)

Choi immediately held his hand up. "不用再多說了。" (Say no more.)

As Lee and Garfield shared glances with each other, the sergeant continued as he held up the detonator, "我會看我能為此做甚麼。" (I will see what I can do with this.)

Then, he put down the detonator before he continued, "但係我需要你們向我保證你們走這條路會對這個案的下落有好點的。" (But I will need you both to guarantee that this path you're taking in this investigation would be favourable to the outcome.)

"你可以放心，箕慶。" (Don't worry, Kei-Hing.) Lee assured his former partner. "我們會搜尋到我們需要用來破案的蛛絲馬跡的。" (We will find the clues we need to solve this case.)

"我希望你說的係對的，金輝。" (I hope you're right, Kîm-Fai.) Choi frowned. "我因為你的行為而被降職係已經有夠倒楣了，我不需要因為你在這一案中出包而讓這個對我不利的情況雪上加霜的，更何況你又不係真正被派去解案的調查員。" (It's already bad enough that I took the demotion as a result of your actions, let's not make matters worse for me from you fouling up in the case, especially since you're not even assigned to investigate this case.)

Lee only nodded firmly before he patted Choi in the back. "你照顧你自己，箕慶。" (Take care of yourself, Kei-Hing.)

Choi nodded back before Lee and Garfield took their leaves, during which he shook hands once again with Garfield.

Once Garfield and Lee were gone, Choi looked at the detonator in his hand and glanced around briefly before proceeding to lock it in his locker.

* * *

**To all of my readers out there, Merry Christmas!**


	12. Getting shut out and another lead

Chapter 12: Getting shut out and another lead

**Time: 23:17 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Seated in the living room in Lee's flat, Garfield was glaring at Lu's mugshot from the gang files as Lee approached him and placed a mug of tea on the table.

"這係你剛才追那位夥伴。" (This is the fella you were chasing earlier.) Lee said as he looked at Lu's mugshot.

"係的。" (Yes.) Garfield nodded. "大約兩個月前，他差一點在溫哥華被繩之以法的。" (He was almost captured by authorities in Vancouver about two months ago.)

"係甚麼事讓你們加拿大當局看準了他?" (What was it that prompted you guys to set your sights on him?) Lee asked.

"一個高達上千億的加拿大原住民遺物的走私案。" (A smuggling case involving Canadian indigenous artifacts worth billions.) Garfield explained. "而且那案係加拿大皇家騎警與你們一起合作的。我們最終破案的目標就係要逮捕該案的幕後首腦:一位稱為儀檜的黑社會老大。" (The case was a joint operation between you guys and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and our main goal in this operation was to find and arrest the big brains behind the case: A crime boss known as Yikui.)

"但係你們最後只找到盧振島。" (But you guys only found Lu Chun-Tao.) Lee interjected.

"沒錯。" (That's right.) Garfield nodded. "在我剛才有追他的情況下，我想你也知道那案的下落怎麼樣。" (And since I was running after him, I'm sure you know how the case turned up.)

Lee murmured as he nodded thoughtfully before he asked, "你講的這個走私案跟我們現在在調查的綁架案之間有甚麼關聯，除了盧振島之外?" (So besides Lu Chun-Tao, what other connections are there between that smuggling case and the kidnapping case we're investigating right now?)

"當時身任為加拿大卑詩省上議員的Merton有位走私案上出一份力。" (Merton had done a significant part in the smuggling case back when he was a MLC in the BC Legislature.) Garfield surmised. "然後兩個月後，他的女兒在這裡被綁架。" (And then two months later, his daughter got kidnapped here.)

Turning towards Lee, he then added, "說不定這綁架案係儀檜針對Merton幫忙破解在溫哥華的走私案上面而策劃的報復行動吧?" (Perhaps this kidnapping case was Yikui's retaliation towards Merton for his role in the busting the smuggling case in Vancouver.)

"更何況他們在策劃報復行動上面，兩個月係足夠的時間。" (Not to mention that in regards to them planning the retaliatory measures, two months is more than enough time for them.) Lee nodded.

Garfield nodded as well before he added, "然後，盧振島在逃走期間掉了那個雷管。" (And then, Lu happened to drop that detonator while running away.)

"這個雷管牽扯到我先前調查的那個山寨煙火走私案會有甚麼機率?" (What are the chances of that detonator being connected to the counterfeit fireworks smuggling case I was working on before?) Lee surmised.

Garfield stood up from his seat as he replied, "我不曉得，但我不認為我會喜歡這個機率的。" (I don't know, though I'm not sure if I'm going to like the chances of that.)

Glancing at the clock in his living room, Lee nodded firmly as he stood up and patted Garfield in the back.

"更係為何你現在需要回去你的飯店早休息。" (Which is also why you need to head back to your hotel for the night.) Lee said. "明天會係一個很長的日子。" (Tomorrow's gonna be a very long day.)

"不用再多說了。" (Say no more.) Garfield nodded.

* * *

_June 15, 1973_

**Time: 08:37 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

When Garfield and Lee arrived at the Shau Kei Wan police station the next morning, both of them detected a rather negative form of energy radiating from Superintendent Chin's office as they entered the squad room.

"係我想太多，還係你有預感大事不妙?" (Is it just me, or are you getting the feeling that something's up?) Lee turned towards Garfield as they arrived at his cubicle.

Garfield glanced around the squad room and frowned.

"不係你想太多。" (It's not just you.) Garfield remarked. "看大家看著我們的臉面，我也看的出來大事不妙。" (It definitely looks like something's up, judging the way everyone else is staring at us.)

Sure enough, the minute Garfield made the remark, the door to Superintendent Chin's office opened and the superintendent stepped out.

When Lee and Garfield stood up, the superintendent beckoned them to his office.

As the duo made their way to Chin's office, they both can see Chu, Hung, Hon and Wilkinson seated inside.

The tension inside Chin's office can be cut with a knife as Garfield and Lee entered and closed the door, and Chin returned to his seat.

"DI Lee." Wilkinson greeted. "And Mr. Wu."

"Officer Wilkinson." Garfield nodded. "What's the occasion?"

"I sincerely hope you both have new developments on the case that we all should be aware of." Wilkinson said as he stared at Lee in particular.

Garfield glanced around and noted the way Chu and Chin were both staring at Lee, and then his eyes darted towards Hung and Hon before returning to Wilkinson.

"What sort of developments are you talking about here, Officer?" Lee asked. "All in all, I'm sure you've been told about last night's raid at the abandoned warehouse and how it literally went up in smoke."

"Yes, which tells us that the kidnappers weren't exactly bluffing in their ransom demand." Wilkinson said. "In fact, Merton's office was just informed this morning that the ransom demand has jumped up to $120 million."

"Right." Lee nodded. "So we're meeting right now to discuss our next moves. Why not discuss it with the Canadian Commiss-"

"You do realise that if we were to do that, we're basically giving Commissioner Merton reasons to panic, which wouldn't do any good to the case, right?" Wilkinson cut in before Lee could finish and glared at him suspiciously. "Besides, is there any particular reason why we're getting the feeling that you know more about the case then you're supposed to, Inspector?"

Lee narrowed his eyes, and Garfield fixed his stare at Wilkinson as the inspector asked, "What are you suggesting?"

Wilkinson turned towards Chu and Chin, who both nodded, and he turned back towards Lee.

"For someone who has a history of insubordination, it shouldn't take much to figure that you would disobey direct orders and work the case on your own behind our backs." Wilkinson glared. "Am I right?"

"Okay, first off, do you honestly think that I would simply stand by and allow Mr. Wu to be used for window-dressing on your parts?" Lee challenged as he took another step forward towards Wilkinson.

The inspector then turned towards Chu and added, "Is this what this is all about? Protecting the force's reputation?"

"You watch your tongue, Lee." Wilkinson barked. "Don't even think just yet that-"

"Oh, I'm just getting warmed up." Lee cut in as he glared at Hon and Hung and continued, "Second off, Mr. Wu is here to assist in the investigation, and is there any particular reason why you will need me to keep him occupied so badly?"

Turning his glare towards Chu, Lee then added, "Is it because you wouldn't like what he is going to find? Or that he's going to find out that the 'good old fashioned police work' you all adhere to isn't what he would consider to be-"

"Watch it, Inspector." Wilkinson cut in. "You don't want to go down that path."

"Oh, is that right?" Lee turned towards Wilkinson. "What are you suggesting?"

"You do know that in order to be considered for a promotion to chief inspector, you shouldn't have anything on your file that could warrant long-term suspension from the force." Wilkinson said.

"Such as multiple counts of insubordination." Chu interjected as he held up a file.

Lee exhaled as he looked at the file in Chu's hand, and Wilkinson's lips curled.

"How's that, Inspector?" Wilkinson asked. "If you're looking for a promotion, you'd better start do as you were told."

Garfield glanced around and narrowed his eyes at the sight of the smirks on Hung and Hon's faces, and he narrowed his eyes further as they darted back to Wilkinson.

"What are you suggesting?" Lee asked.

"Maybe start first by letting us know on any developments you and Mr. Wu had made on the case." Wilkinson said.

Chu nodded. "That's a start."

Lee glanced towards Garfield, and he nodded.

"Well, as a matter a fact, there was someone watching us as we conducted the raid at the warehouse." Lee said. "Mr. Wu spotted him after we barely made it out of the levelled warehouse, and there was a chase and scuffle."

"He had an acquaintance who managed to get him out of the site before we could nab him, but he dropped a detonator in the course of the scuffle." Garfield added.

"A detonator?" Wilkinson now arched his eyebrows.

Lee nodded. "It is our belief that the detonator may be tied in to a major counterfeit fireworks smuggling case that implicates major players of the criminal underground who would have the sophistication to pull off this kidnapping."

Wilkinson and Chu glanced at each other before they both nodded thoughtfully.

"See, that wasn't that difficult then, isn't it?" Wilkinson asked.

Lee only grunted as Garfield added, "At present, the detonator is being examined for identification of the arms dealer, which could in turn allow us to identify the culprit responsible for the kidnapping."

"Right." Chu nodded before he turned towards Hon and Hung and ordered, "You both follow up on that front and see where it leads us."

Both Hon and Hung nodded and took their leaves while Wilkinson turned towards Lee and said, "As for you, DI Lee, I will make this simple: Make this the last time you try to butt into the investigation. The last thing we need is for you to cause another incident that would further jeopardise the investigation."

"Well, what do you expect me to do besides looking after Mr. Wu?" Lee asked.

Wilkinson turned towards Chu and Chin, and they glanced at each other briefly before Chin reached over to pull open a file cabinet and took out a few files.

"你可以運用時間來review這些冷案的file。" (You can use the time to review these cold case files.) Chin said as he stacked the files on his desk and placed his hand on the top, and Lee narrowed his eyes.

Garfield noticed the look on Lee's face darkening, during which the superintendent continued, "讓我給你一個建議，金輝:不要自作聰明，連試著也不行。" (Allow me to give you a free piece of advice, Kim-Fai: Don't even try to play smart.)

"把這當成你最後的警告。" (Consider this as your last warning.) Chu added as he stood up from his seat. "了解嗎?" (Understood?)

Lee only stood up and nodded curtly, and Chin proceeded to push the stack of cold case files towards him.

Without another word, the inspector grabbed the stack and made his way out of the office, during which Garfield stood up and followed suit.

"One more thing, you two." Wilkinson prompted, and both Garfield and Lee paused briefly and turned around.

With both Garfield and Lee glancing towards him, Wilkinson's face shifted into one with expectation as he continued, "Try to stay out of trouble, eh?"

Garfield and Lee glanced at each other before they both turned around and made their way out of the office without a word.

* * *

**Time: 10:18 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

In spite of the discussion they had at Chin's office, Garfield and Lee decided to pop out of the station to check on the progress of the case nonetheless, though they did so under the pretense of consulting with DCI Ng on one of the cold case files Lee was assigned to.

"好，但不要弄太久。" (Okay, but don't take too long.) Chin said when Lee spoke to him about the trip he will be taking to Quarry Bay.

Soon, while on the road, Garfield turned towards Lee and said, "我們只供應雷管的事應該可以給我們一些時間來確認說儀檜係我們的幕後兇手。" (By giving up the detonator, we should be able to buy enough time to confirm Yikui's complicity in the kidnapping.)

Lee nodded. "但之後，我們還需要策劃我們在這一案的下一個步驟。" (Though after that, we still need to plan our next steps in the case.)

"當然。" (Of course.) Garfield agreed. "畢竟我們不能拿機會來發現他們下一個動作會不會對被害人的命一點也不利。" (After all, we can't take any chances in finding out whether or not the results of their actions will end in the victim's favour.)

Lee nodded firmly as he stepped on the gas pedal, and Garfield held onto the handle above the door.

A short while later, the duo arrived at the North Point Division station and promptly made their way to the CID squad room.

DCI Ng looked up upon spotting the duo, and he put down the reports he was reading and walked towards them.

"我也在想你們兩人甚麼時候會來的。" (I was beginning to wonder when you two were gonna arrive.) Ng said in greeting.

"驗血的結果出爐了嗎?" (The results of the blood test came out?) Lee asked.

"係的。" (Yes.) Ng nodded as he prompted the duo to follow him to his office.

Once the trio arrived at the chief inspector's office, Ng grabbed the folder on his desk and handed it to Lee as he continued, "被害人穿的項鍊上的血跟我們的幫派資料庫有一個match。" (The blood on the victim's necklace was a match to someone on our gangs database.)

Lee opened the folder and scanned the contents of the blood test report, and Garfield leaned forward to take a closer look.

In addition to the test report, the folder also included a photo along with a summary file detailing the identity of the culprit identified in the blood test.

To none of Garfield and Lee's surprises, Lu Chun-Tao's photo and file were accompanying the report, and the duo looked up at Ng.

"盧振島係綁架案的兇手。" (Lu Chun-Tao is the kidnapper.) Garfield stated, more in confirmation of their suspicions than stating out loud of the latest development.

"被害人一定係在綁架過程有試圖掙脫而用項鍊來刮傷盧振島的。" (The victim must've scratched Lu Chun-Tao with the necklace while attempting to flee from the kidnapping attempt.) Ng nodded grimly before noting the look on Garfield and Lee's faces and added, "不過你們看起來先前就已經對他很熟悉的。" (Though the both of you look like you've already made your acquaintance with him.)

Garfield and Lee glanced at each other, then Garfield said, "係一個很長的故事。" (It's a long story.)

Lee nodded in agreement. "我想你也聽說昨晚發生的爆炸案吧。" (I'm sure you've heard about the explosion last night.)

Ng nodded, during which Lee continued, "盧振島在那爆炸案的現場觀察我們，我們隨後去追他，但他事後順利逃脫。" (Lu Chun-Tao was near the scene of the explosion observing us, we went to chase him but he managed to escape.)

"像他那總人，我也不意外。" (For someone like him, I'm not surprised.) Ng mused. "他做事係真的。" (That guy means business.)

"他的老大儀檜也係。" (So is his boss Yikui.) Garfield added.

Ng turned towards Garfield. "你係甚麼意思?" (What do you mean?)

Garfield glanced at Lee briefly before they proceeded to summarize the theory they've developed, namely on how the kidnapping was cooked up by Yikui in retaliation for Merton's role in the raid in Vancouver two months ago.

Ng nodded thoughtfully at the explanations, and it was clear that the chief inspector shared their sense of urgency surrounding the possibility of a gang war between One Piece and its rival Forever Enlightened with the victim caught in the middle.

The duo then mentioned the detonator Lu dropped following the chase the night before, in addition to revealing the discussions they had with Chu earlier that morning in Chin's office.

Ng scoffed and shook his head at the mention of Chief Superintendent Chu. "他們還真會找你們的麻煩。" (They both sure are keen on looking for trouble.)

"係啊。" (That's right.) Garfield nodded. "他們還有種叫我們不要再插進去，也給我們一些冷案的案件去處理。" (They even have the nerve to tell us to stop meddling in the investigation and gave us a bunch of cold case files to process.)

"他們到底係期望我們做甚麼?!" (What on earth are they expecting us to do?!) Lee agreed as he raised his arms in frustration. "更何況Merton署長很期望我們能夠跟吳先生一起破案和解救被害人的。像他們這樣子做事情，到時候要怎麼向署長交代事情啊?" (Not to mention that Commissioner Merton's expecting us to work with Mr. Wu in solving this case and rescue the victim. When they do things like this, how are they supposed to get this worked out with the Commissioner?)

"更係為何你們不能再管他們對你們說甚麼。" (Which is why you guys shouldn't pay any more attention to whatever they say.) Ng nodded. "你們好不容易在案中找到一個突破點，他們卻硬著要你們不要再插下去。" (You both managed to get a credible lead in the case, and then they pull you from the case.)

Garfield and Lee looked at Ng as the DCI continued, "他們這樣子做一定係因為你們接觸到一個他們不想要你們知道的東西。" (You must've stumbled upon something they don't want you to know, and so they pull you from the case.)

At that last remark, Garfield's eyes brightened as he remembered something.

"說到這個，我想我有一個你想要看的東西，總督察。" (Speaking of which, I've got something I believe you would want to take a look at, Chief Inspector.) Garfield said as he reached into his suit jacket.

Lee turned towards Garfield as Ng arched his eyebrows. "甚麼東西?" (What is it?)

* * *

**Please read and review!**


	13. A flashback and another lead

Chapter 13: A flashback and another lead

**Time: 10:25 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Detective Chief Inspector Ng looked at the photo of Chin and the gangster grimly as Garfield and Lee looked on, then he put down the photo and scoffed as he shook his head.

"我真的一點也不意外。" (I am really not surprised.) Ng said before turning towards Garfield, gestured to the photo and added, "你係甚麼時候拍這張照片的?" (When did you take this photo?)

"昨晚。" (Last night.) Garfield replied. "在raid之前。" (Right before the raid.)

"你認出跟陳sir碰面的那位先生。" (You recognise the fella Superintendent Chin was meeting with.) Lee interjected.

"係的。" (Yes, I do.) Ng nodded as he looked at the photo again. "我早期在筲箕灣警署的時候，我有碰過他。" (Back in the day when I was assigned to the Shau Kei Wan station, I have met him.)

Garfield arched his eyebrows as he glanced at Lee, then he asked, "你係在甚麼情況下碰到他?" (What was the occasion that led to your first meeting with him?)

"你們或許不會相信這個，但我係在我就職的第一天的時候碰到他的。" (You both wouldn't believe this, but I first met him on my very first day on the job.) Ng said before his mind flash backed to the day of the first encounter with the gangster.

FLASHBACK - Nine Years Ago

_October 29, 1964_

It was a cloudy afternoon as Probationary Sub-Inspector Ng Gwong-Yuen accompanied Senior Inspector Chin Gwok-Wan on a drive back to the police station after a call-out to a crime scene.

The probationary sub-inspector, who had recently graduated from the police college, was very keen on his first day on the job, and he was prompt in getting on with the procedures of securing the crime scene before handing it over to the Criminal Investigation Department.

"所以你係在新加坡長大的。" (So you've grew up in Singapore.) Chin was speaking as he sat behind the wheel.

"係的。" (Yes.) Ng nodded. "我係在港出生，但因為父親的工作而搬到新加坡。" (I was born here, but moved to Singapore as a result of my father's job.)

"你父親當時係做甚麼工作?" (What was your father's work back then?) Chin asked.

"他入伍。" (He was in the Army.) Ng explained. "他在我出生後沒多久被派去新加坡。" (Not long after I was born, he got assigned to Singapore.)

"哼。" (Hmmm.) Chin grunted as he nodded thoughtfully, during which they came to a stop at a red light.

As they waited for the light to turn green, Ng turned to his left towards the nearby dark alleyway and spotted something.

"喔，你看。" (Oh, look.) Ng said, pointing at what appeared to be a mugging in progress. "身為警察的第一天，我又碰到事情。" (First day on the job, I encountered some excitement again.)

What Ng spotted was a muscular man holding a knife by a woman's chest and snarling, "除非妳付我需要的茶錢的話，妳會付出代價的!" (Unless you pay the tea money I demanded, be prepared to face the music!)

"我不能泊車。" (I can't stop the car.) Chin said. "總司需要我們盡快地回到警署。" (Superintendent needs us to return to the station promptly.)

Ng turned towards Chin. "我有聽錯嗎?" (Did I hear you right?)

"沒有。" (No, you didn't.) Chin shook his head as he turned towards Ng sternly. "我們需要馬上回到警署的。" (We need to return to the station right now.)

Ng gestured towards the dark alleyway as he said, "大幫，那裡有人正在搶劫。" (Senior Inspector, there's a robbery in progress.)

"那不關我們的事。" (It's not our business.) Chin stated.

"甚麼?!" (What?!) Ng exclaimed in a tone of disbelief. "我們係警察，但你在說那個搶劫案不係我們的責任?!" (We're police officers, but you're saying that that robbery isn't our business?!)

"總司的下令。" (Superintendent's orders.) Chin said as the light turned green. "他需要-" (He needs-)

As Chin was speaking, he pressed on the gas, which then prompted Ng to decide to take matters into his own hands.

"泊車!" (Stop!) Ng shouted. "現在給我泊車!" (Stop the doggone car right now!)

Before Chin could comply, Ng abruptly opened the car door and got off, forcing the senior inspector to slam on the brakes.

"吳廣源!" (Ng Gwonk-Yuen!) Chin shouted, though Ng ignored him as he promptly got off the car and rushed over to the dark alleyway.

"這係你最後的警告!" (This is your final warning!) The mugger growled. "既然妳沒辦法付茶錢，這表示你需要用妳的錢包付!" (Since you can't pay the tea money, that means you're going to pay with your purse!)

"不...不要...!" (S-Stop...!) The woman protested weakly.

It was then that Ng entered the fry and shouted, "喂!" (Hey!)

The mugger turned towards Ng and saw him flash his badge with one hand while reaching for his baton with the other.

"警察。" (Police.) Ng barked at the mugger. "舉起你的手!" (Put your hands in the air!)

The mugger narrowed his eyes at the sight of Ng as his left hand formed into a fist and his right hand gripped the knife he was holding.

"想得美。" (In your dreams.) The mugger said as he swung his fist towards Ng, who quickly ducked.

"你不要自作聰明。" (Don't play smart.) Ng retorted as he countered with a punch to the mugger's stomach, causing him to drop the knife in pain.

The probationary sub inspector then proceeded to slam the mugger against the nearby wall, ready to handcuff him.

As that was happening, the woman quickly took the opportunity to run off, and Ng caught sight of it.

"等等，小姐!" (Wait, Miss!) Ng shouted. "妳要去哪裡?我需要妳的statement!" (Where are you going? I need your statement!)

The woman ignored the probationary sub inspector as she continued running off, and Ng continued, "我剛才-" (I just-)

"吳廣源!" (Ng Gwonk-Yuen!) Chin shouted as he approached Ng and the struggling mugger.

"幫我為這傢伙戴上手拷。" (Help me cuff this jerk.) Ng said as he struggled to cuff the mugger.

"放他走。" (Let him go.) Chin said.

"甚麼?" (What?) Ng turned towards the senior inspector in disbelief.

"我說，放他走!" (I said, let him go!) Chin raised his voice as he tugged Ng's tunic.

"你係在開我的玩笑嗎?!" (Are you kidding me?!) Ng exclaimed as he uncuffed the mugger before gesturing towards him and continued, "這個白癡係一個臥底人員嗎?還係-?" (Is this dirtbag undercover? Or is he-?)

Before Ng could finish, the mugger started laughing as he adjusted his vest, and Chin turned towards him.

"我非常的很抱歉，高賽。" (I am deeply sorry, Ko-Si.) Chin said to the mugger. "這係吳見習副督察的第一天巡邏。" (This is Probationary Sub Inspector Ng's first day on the job.)

"我也看的出來，陳國灣。" (I can see that, Chin.) Ko snorted. "你在發生另外的一個意外之前把他給交好說我們在這裡係怎麼做事情的。" (You better teach him the way we do things around here fast before another accident happens.)

Chin only grunted in reply, and Ko sneered as he turned away.

"那位王八蛋欠我的錢由你來付，陳國灣。" (What that jerk owed me is coming from you, Chin.) Ko continued as he walked away before turning towards Ng and added, "另外，你盡快地學好我們在這裡係怎麼做事情的， _ **菜鳥**_ ，不然我們到時候會看說 _ **誰**_ 在自作聰明的。" (As for you, you better start learning fast on how we do things around here, _**rookie**_ , or we'll see who's the _**one** _playing smart.)

Once Ko had disappeared around the corner, Ng turned towards Chin in total disbelief.

"你剛才係在搞甚麼飛機啊，大幫?" (What on earth was that for, Senior Inspector?) Ng demanded.

"你去上車，吳廣源。" (Just get on the car, Ng.) Chin replied calmly.

"那位白痴係在勒索你嗎，大幫?" (Was that dirtbag blackmailing you, Senior Inspector?) Ng placed his hands on his hips.

"你不知道你在說甚麼。" (You have no clue what you're talking about.) Chin replied. "你 _ **給我**_ 上車。" (Just _**get on** _the car.)

"你以為我係 _ **瞎子**_ 嗎?!" (You really think I'm _**blind**_?!) Ng exploded. "我剛才看著你放了一位搶劫犯一馬，還-" (I just watched you letting a mugger go, and-)

At that point, Chin had heard enough and he turned towards the probationary sub inspector angrily.

"你不要以為你係非常聰明的，吳廣源!" (Don't even think that you're very smart, Ng!) Chin barked. "你以為當警察係很好玩嗎?當你發現在這裡當警察的真相之後，你會被安排到第一班飛往新加坡的班機，我也會為你買機票的!" (You really think that being a policeman is fun? Once you find out what it really takes to become one here, you will be on the first flight to Singapore, and I will buy the tickets!)

Chin's outburst stunned Ng silent, and he just stood there without another word.

Then, Chin cooled down as he returned to their car, during which he paused and turned towards Ng and said, "你不用判斷我，吳廣源。你不夠了解我。" (Don't judge me, Ng. You don't know me that well.)

The senior inspector then resumed his way back to the car, and Ng stood there briefly before joining him, and the drive back to the station was done in silence.

END FLASHBACK

"所以這係我第一次碰到高賽的故事。" (So that's the story on how I first met Ko-Si.) Ng said as he finished relating the story.

"只係確認一下，高賽就係照片裡的那位傢伙的姓名，對不對?" (Just so we're clear, Ko-Si's the name of the fella in the photo, right?) Lee asked as he gestured towards the photo.

"係的。" (That's right.) Ng nodded. "他現在係郭瑜的幫手。" (He's now a muscle for Kwok-Yu.)

"但你第一次碰到他的時候，他係大一塊幫派的人員。" (Though back when you first met him, he was a member of One Piece.) Lee interjected.

"沒錯。" (Yes.) Ng nodded again, though it was then that Garfield began to chuckle, and the two policemen turned towards him in confusion.

"有甚麼好笑的，吳先生?" (What's so funny, Mr. Wu?) Lee arched his eyebrows.

Garfield suppressed his chuckle before explaining, "喔，我一聽到高賽的姓名的時候想到一個好笑的東西。" (Oh, I just thought of something funny when I heard Ko-Si's name?)

Lee and Ng both glanced at each other.

"他的姓名有甚麼好笑的地方?" (What's so funny about his name?) Ng asked.

Garfield glanced at the time on the nearby clock before saying, "我在破案後再解釋。" (I'll explain later once we finish the case.)

Lee and Ng both nodded thoughtfully, during which the seriousness returned to the office.

"在一大塊和恆光瑜這兩個幫派有可能會開戰的情況下，我們需要盡快的找到儀檜的。" (Given the strong possibility of a gang war between One Piece and Forever Enlightened, we need to work fast in finding Yikui.) Ng stated.

"沒錯。" (Right.) Lee nodded. "我們現在有的線索帶領我們到盧振島，所以找尋他成為這個案的關鍵。" (All of the leads we've got lead us to Lu Chun-Tao, so finding him is the main key to this case.)

"現在問題係我們要如何找到他?" (Now the main problem is how should we find him?) Ng folded his arms.

He and Lee then turned towards Garfield, during which he snapped his fingers and said, "我們找到賣雷管給盧振島的走私客之後，我們就逼迫他告訴我們盧振島和儀檜在哪裡。" (Once we find the smuggler that sold the detonator to Lu, we make him or her tell us where we can find Lu and Yikui.)

Ng snapped his fingers as well and pointed at Garfield as he said, "你說的對。" (You said it.)

"那現在我們只能期望箕慶有我們需要的資訊。" (Which means we can only hope that Kei-Hing has the information we need.) Lee nodded.

* * *

**Time: 11:45 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Sure enough, Lee's old partner came through with the tracing of the origins of the detonator, and lo and behold, the gangster Lin's name popped up as the one responsible for the sale.

Before the gangster knew it, he had found himself back in the interrogation room of the Quarry Bay station with Ng and Choi in the observation room.

Lin sat behind the desk with his hands cuffed and clasped together, and some minutes went by before Lee and Garfield entered with a file in hand.

The gangster scowled as the duo entered the room, and he looked up.

"我已經給你們我知道的東西。" (I've already given you what I know.) Lin said in Mandarin.

"那是昨天的事。" (That was for yesterday.) Garfield replied as he and Lee sat down. "在這段期間，我們獲得一些新的訊息。" (During this time, we've got some new developments.)

"所以呢?" (So?) Lin shrugged. "那跟我有什麼關係?" (What does that have to do with me?)

Lee pulled out the detonator they recovered from Lu earlier and placed it on the desk.

"認出這個雷管嗎?" (Recognise this detonator?) Lee asked.

Lin glanced at the device briefly before shrugging again. "或許吧。為什麼?" (Maybe. Why?)

"因為我們有證據這雷管是你售給一大塊的。" (Because we have evidence that says that you sold this detonator to One Piece.) Lee glared. "我也可以想像這個雷管不是你唯一有賣給他們的。" (I can imagine that this detonator isn't the only one you've sold to them.)

"你憑什麼這樣說?" (What makes you say that?) Lin asked.

"用膝蓋想也知道他們平常不會在這麼短的時間內會需要用到這麼多的炸藥。" (It shouldn't take much to figure that they wouldn't need to use up that much explosives in a short period of time normally.) Lee folded his arms.

"既然他們在短期時間內從你那邊買了一堆炸藥，這表示他們有策畫出一個計畫。" (Since they've bought this much explosives in a short period of time, that means they've got something planned.) Garfield nodded. "也表示他們的計畫會對這裡會有很大的影響。" (And whatever they've got planned is going to impact this place severely.)

"你們憑什麼認為說我需要管他們這個計畫是什麼?" (And what makes you think I should give a rats rear end on what their plans is?) Lin scoffed. "無論如何，我認為現在是一個可以打電話給我律師的時間。" (But either way, I believe that now's a good time for me to contact my barrister.)

Garfield glanced at Lee briefly, during which a hint of a smirk appeared on Lin's face.

"你把我當白痴啊?" (You really think that I'm an idiot?) Lin said smugly. "我知道我有權利，所以你們不用再演戲了。" (I know that I have my rights, so you both can cut the act.)

Abruptly, Garfield opened the file and pulled out a photo before slamming it on the desk.

"這是你現在十歲的女兒，是不是?" (This is your ten-year old daughter, isn't it?) Garfield demanded as he slammed the photo on the desk.

Lin looked at the photo briefly before the smugness on his face disappeared, replaced by confusion.

Also confused by Garfield's sudden outburst were Lee and Ng, and the inspector turned towards him in confusion.

When Lin didn't reply, Garfield stood up and repeated, "我問你這是不是你的女兒?!" (I'm asking if this is your daughter?!)

Lin looked up at Garfield and replied, "是，但我女兒跟這有什麼關係?" (Yes, but what does my daughter have anything to do with this?)

Without missing a beat, Garfield reached into his dress jacket pocket and pulled out Katherine's photo before slamming it on the desk, right beside that of Lin's daughter.

"你看這張照片。" (Look at this photo.) Garfield demanded as he pointed at Katherine's photo.

Lin was starting to look visibly uncomfortable, and he tried to look away.

Garfield swiftly yanked Lin's head back towards Katherine's photo and said, "我說你看這張照片!" (I said look at this photo!)

When Lin didn't comply, Garfield leaned closer and glared at him intensively.

"你是聽不懂人話，是不是?!" (You don't understand a word, right?) Garfield barked. "你看這張照片!" (Look at this photo!)

Lee looked on as Lin swallowed before looking at Katherine's photo, during which Garfield continued, "這位小女孩跟你的女兒同一個年齡，前幾天在上學的路上被儀檜綁架。" (This girl is the same age as your daughter. She was kidnapped by Yikui while on her way to school a few days ago.)

Lin looked up towards Garfield, and as he swallowed, Garfield leaned closer towards him.

"你知道如果這位女孩發生什麼事，你會因為你跟儀檜的關聯而付出代價的。" (You know that if something happens to this girl, you will face the music as a result of your associations with Yikui.) Garfield continued, the calmness in his voice betraying the anger and other surge of emotions building inside him. "你會想要你的女兒把你想成一個毫不猶豫的一個願意讓一個跟她同年齡的小孩殺手嗎?" (Do you want your daughter to think of you as a killer who won't hesitate to kill a child the same age as her?)

The gangster exhaled as Garfield glared at him, during which Garfield continued, "我們也知道你的女兒沒有其他的親戚可以在你坐牢期間看好她。" (We also know that your daughter has no other relatives to look after her while you're serving your prison sentence.)

Garfield then exhaled before he added, "所以你如果想要能夠看著你女兒長大的話，我建議你告訴我們可以在哪裡找儀檜的。" (So if you want to be able to watch your daughter grow up, I strongly suggest that you tell us where we can find Yikui.)

With that, Garfield leaned back on his seat, and Lee looked on as the gears in Lin's mind turned.

Eventually, the gangster leaned forward and replied, "元郎的鋼發夜總會。" (The Kong Fat Night Club in Yuen Long.)

At that admission, Lee and Ng both looked towards Garfield brightly, and the chief inspector promptly exited the viewing room while Garfield and Lee got up from their seats.

* * *

As the trio met to discuss their next moves, unbeknownst to any of them, the constable manning the viewing room surreptitiously made his way to the nearby telephone by the door.

Glancing around to ensure that no one else was observing, the constable dialed a number and tapped his finger gently on the wall as he waits for the call to be connected.

When the party answered, the constable said, "係我。" (It's me.)

Another pause went by as the constable glanced around before saying, "我知道李督察和吳先生今天晚上要去哪裡找儀檜。" (I know where Inspector Lee and Mr. Wu are going tonight to find Yikui.)

When the party at the other end inquired, the constable replied, "剛發夜總會。" (The Kong Fat Night Club.)

* * *

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	14. In the nightclub

Chapter 14: In the nightclub

**Time: 14:35 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

"I honestly should've seen this coming." Commissioner Merton remarked after Garfield, Lee and Ng arrived at his office and informed him of the latest leads in the case.

Garfield, Lee and Ng all glanced at each other as Merton turned towards them and continued, "Knowing Yikui for the crime lord he is, I really should've expected that he would've cooked this up as payback for my role in supporting the raid in Vancouver two months ago."

"As I recall, Chief Superintendent Douglas Graham was the RHKPF senior investigating officer in charge of the raid from our end, isn't he?" Ng folded his arms.

"Yes, he was." Merton nodded. "From what I remember, he mentioned that you guys have conducted a raid here and arrested a whole lot of those involved in the cross-Pacific smuggling operation."

"That, we did." Ng nodded. "However, the fact that Yikui's still at large, not to mention the fact that no one knows what he actually looks like, gives him the opportunity to plan your daughter's kidnapping in retaliation."

"Right, right." Merton agreed. "But I digress, you expect that Yukui will be in the Kong Fat Night Club when you make the search tonight?"

"Well, according to our files, the Kong Fat Night Club is one of several businesses that serves as a legitimate front to One Piece's operations." Lee said. "And by far, that night club's been consistently posting profits annually, compared to the other businesses that has been under siege lately as we sought to crack down more on organised crime."

"Makes sense." Merton nodded thoughtfully. "And you think that's also where Katherine is held?"

"We hope so." Garfield interjected. "Provided, of course, we don't encounter any sort of issues from Chu and his hooligans at the DSD."

"What are you suggesting, Garfield?" Merton turned towards him.

"Well, if you think about it." Garfield said. "Lee and I have made substantial progress in the case even though he's only supposed to 'babysit' me, and we got shut out of the case just as we were about to find the crucial lead."

"Sounds like you both discovered something that they don't want you to find." Merton remarked before scoffing and added, "Not that I should be surprised."

"Knowing Chu, you shouldn't be, Commissioner." Ng nodded. "Which is also why I've agreed to help Lee and Mr. Wu out in their own investigation in spite of my differences with him."

"Appreciate it, Chief Inspector." Merton nodded. "In any way, though, once you lot arrive at the night club, what's your plan?"

Ng turned towards Garfield and Lee, and Garfield arched his eyebrows briefly before he frowned.

"I've got an idea." Garfield stated before nodding at Lee and continued, "Though I highly doubt you are going to like it."

Seeing the way Garfield was speaking to Lee, both Merton and Ng got a very good idea on what exactly Garfield has in mind and shared knowing glances with each other.

Noting the way Ng and Merton were sharing glances with each other, Lee prompted, "What?"

* * *

**Time: 17:39 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

"我真的一點也不喜歡這個點子。" (I really don't like this idea at all.) Lee said to Garfield later that late-afternoon as the trio sat together in Ng's office in Quarry Bay. "你真的認為我該進去臥底嗎?" (You really think I should go undercover in there?)

"別告訴我們你擔心你會在臥底期間被露馬腳的。" (Don't tell us now you're worried that you'd get compromised while undercover.) Ng said with his arms folded.

"這跟我擔心我們去臥底沒有任何關係的。" (This isn't about me worrying about going undercover.) Lee scoffed. "你應該也知道鋼發夜總會的生意主要係針對誰。" (You should know who the night club caters to.)

Garfield and Ng shared glances with each other, then the latter said, "你係說你不認為你有辦法跟那些比較有錢的顧客混在一起的嗎。" (You're saying that you can't exactly blend in well with the wealthy patrons.)

"我在那群人裡面會看起來像一個受了傷的一個大拇指。" (I will stick out like a sore thumb in that crowd.) Lee said.

"大家去夜總會係為了好玩而去的。" (Everyone's at the nightclub for fun.) Garfield said. "畢竟你之前有去過一些派對吧。" (I'm sure you've been to some parties before.)

"更何況大家主要係在喝酒、吃東西和跳舞的。" (Not to mention that everyone's going to be focused on eating, drinking and dancing.) Ng added before placing his hand on Lee's shoulder and added, "你不用想太多。" (No need to worry too much.)

Lee frowned as he pondered about what Ng just said, then he reluctantly nodded.

"好吧。" (Alright, then.) The inspector said. "那我們該準備一切了。" (Let's get ready.)

"你們知道你們到夜總會時該做甚麼，對吧?" (You guys know what to do at the night club, eh?) Ng asked.

Garfield and Lee glanced at each other, then they both nodded.

"當然，我們需要先換衣服。" (Of course, we're gonna need to have a change in clothes.) Garfield said.

Ng looked first at Lee before turning towards Garfield briefly, then the chief inspector reached over to the cabinet behind his seat and pulled out a file.

As he placed the file on his desk and opened it, the chief inspector said, "那我把事情留給你們去做。" (Then, I'll leave you guys to it.)

Taking Ng's opening of the file on his desk as a cue, Garfield and Lee both nodded as they promptly got up from their seats and took their leaves.

* * *

**Time: 20:45 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Standing in front of the night club entrance, Garfield looked up towards the sign above the door as he adjusted his bow tie.

The words ""鋼發夜總會" shined amidst the darkening surroundings with the sun setting in the distance, and Garfield adjusted his fedora before glancing at his pocket watch.

Lee soon joined him as he adjusted his bow tie, and Garfield turned towards him.

"準備好了嗎?" (All set?) Garfield asked.

"已經準備好要進去虎口。" (I'm all set and ready to head into the tiger's den.) Lee responded.

Garfield nodded. "走吧。" (Let's go.)

Lee followed Garfield's lead into the night club, during which they walked past a suspicious-looking man smoking a cigarette nonchalantly.

As soon as the duo were through the entrance doors, the man turned around and walked towards a nearby dark alley, where another man was smoking a cigarette.

"他們進去了。" (They're in.) The first man reported.

The second man nodded and tossed aside his cigarette, then he turned around and said, "我去報告。你跟著他們。" (I go report, you stay with them.)

The first man nodded before they went their separate ways, and he made his way back into the night club.

A big band was on the stage performing Glenn Miller's _In the Mood_ while several attendants were dancing as Garfield and Lee entered, and they took a look around.

Many of the attendants were dressed similarly to Garfield and Lee with their tux and bow ties, and the women were dressed impeccably in their traditional dresses.

Noting the way everyone else was dressed, Garfield turned towards Lee and asked, "你還係認為你做不到這件事嗎?" (You still think you can't do this?)

"我們等一下就知道了。" (We will find out soon enough.) Lee whispered before nodding towards the set of stairs near the back of the building and continued, "你在這裡看著，我要去樓上瞧一瞧。" (You look around down here, I'm heading upstairs to take a look around.)

Garfield nodded before he whispered, "小心，督察。" (Be careful, Inspector.)

"我會的。" (I will.) Lee whispered back before they went their separate ways.

Once the inspector broke off from him, Garfield proceeded to stride towards the dance floor, walking casually as if he was there to have fun while discreetly looking and glancing around, particularly to see if there's anyone else that could be observing him.

When he glanced towards the front entrance, he spotted the man from earlier, also similarly acting casually as he sipped a cup of tea at the bar.

Garfield's eyes narrowed, his instincts gearing up as he tries to figure if the man was doing what he think is doing.

He turned back towards the stage, and he casually took out his pocket watch once more to check the time.

As he did so, he discreetly flipped the watch to an angle where he could get a better, mirrored reflection of the man at the bar.

The man at the bar certainly didn't look like he was at the night club to have fun, and Garfield could see that he was looking towards the stairs.

Putting his pocket watch back in his pocket, Garfield turned back towards the stairs, in time to see Lee disappear at the top of the stairs.

By this point, the band had concluded their performance of _In the Mood_ , and the audience all applauded as they paused from their dancing and went back to their tables to get some refreshments.

As that was happening, Garfield glanced around and spotted two men joining the man at the bar, who then spoke something into the ears of the two men before nodding towards the stairs at the back.

The two men nodded back, and then they proceeded to make their way towards the stairs in the rear.

Garfield's eyes narrowed at the sight of the two men making their way towards the stairs at the rear. Judging from their composure and rather-crooked walking manners, not to mention the hidden tattoos barely visible on their necks, he figured it was only a matter of time before those two men tries to ambush Lee upstairs.

He quickly turned around, and seeing the big band adjusting their instruments, Garfield swiftly thought of something and walked towards the stage.

The band manager was preparing his clarinet when Garfield approached him, and he paused and turned towards him.

The man at the bar looked on as Garfield whispered something into the band manager's ear, and the band manager frowned briefly.

Then, he saw Garfield handing something to the band manager, who then looked at it briefly before nodding and turned towards the band.

The man at the bar frowned as he observed Garfield retreating from the stage, right as the big band prepared their instruments once more.

The two men he had ordered upstairs were squeezing their way through the assembled tables when the drummer began playing the opening rhythm to Benny Goodman's _Sing, Sing, Sing_ , and as soon as the rest of the big band began to join in in playing the hit swing piece, before the two men knew it, the area was suddenly crowded by eager dancers and they find themselves struggling against the tide of people heading over to dance.

The man at the bar frowned as two women in the crowd offered the two men to go onto the dance floor to dance, and the two men, both unable to react or explain in time, find themselves dragged onto the dance floor and dance while the trumpets and trombones in the band began playing the introductory notes.

A smirk formed onto Garfield's face as he watched the two men struggled in vain to break away, only to find themselves dancing with two left feet.

With the big band gearing up in their performance, especially as the saxes, guitar, bass and piano joined the fray, Garfield nodded and gently tapped his hand against his leg with the beat as he watched the people dancing on the dance floor.

* * *

Upstairs, Lee wasted no time taking a peek around, under the pretense of searching for the washroom.

As he walked down the hallway, the inspector accidentally bumped into another man, who stumbled forward when he almost tripped over Lee.

"Oh, begging your pardon." Lee quickly said, and the man paused and turned towards him. "I probably had too much to drink for the night."

"No worries, lad." The man, revealing himself to be Chief Superintendent Douglas Graham, replied. "If you're looking for the washroom, it's straight ahead to the right."

"Right." Lee nodded. "Thanks."

Graham nodded before they went their separate ways, and Lee continued onwards before pausing and turning around, in time to see Graham rounding a corner at the end of the hallway.

Lee glanced around before proceeding to the end of the hallway, stopping when he saw a door around the corner to his right.

There were voices coming from the door, and Lee glanced around again before tip-toeing towards the door in question.

On the other end of the adjacent hallway from the door is an elevator, and the floor indicator showed that the elevator is at present at the basement.

After he made sure that no one else was observing or in the vicinity, Lee leaned forward so he could hear the conversation better.

"Be sure that the commissioner gets the message on our ransom demand." A voice was speaking on the other side of the door, and Lee arched his eyebrows briefly when he thought that the voice sounded familiar. "He has half an hour left to pay the ransom. Understood?"

From what Lee could tell, the source of the voice was on the telephone, likely to the Canadian Commission to issue the latest warning on the ransom demand.

A pause went by before the voice repeated, "I said, do you understand?"

Another pause went by before the voice barked, "Good."

Lee glanced down the main hallway as the man on the other side of the phone hung up the telephone and scoffed before making a remark that would suggested that the woman at the desk had difficulty understanding his warning.

The inspector narrowed his eyes at the mention of Yikui's name, during which another voice, who he assumed to be from the crime boss himself, replied, "I trust that she got the message that the Commissioner needs to receive, Lu?"

"Of course." Lu nodded, and it was then that Lee realised why he recognised the voice. "She heard it loud and clear."

 _昨天跟我要求勒索金的那位先生就係盧振島! (The fella demanding the ransom that I spoke to yesterday is Lu Chun-Tao!)_ Lee thought to himself in realisation.

Taking another firm glance around, the inspector pressed his ear closer to the door as he tries to get a better understanding of the conversation inside.

* * *

Back downstairs, the man at the bar frowned as it became clear that the two men he had dispatched to go after Lee wasn't going to get away from the dance anytime soon, not when they're practically in the spotlight and subjected to laughs as it became apparent that they're dancing with two left feet.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands, the man discarded his cigarette, got up from his seat and made his way towards Garfield.

As that was happening, the clarinet player was starting the clarinet solo part of the hit piece, accompanied by the drums.

While the clarinet solo was being performed, Garfield glanced around and spotted a young woman about his age and dressed in a light yellow cheongsam looking at him quizzically.

The woman, with her thin frame and long black hair tied into a loose bun and pearl earrings, looked quite attractive, and Garfield arched his eyebrows briefly as he thought that the woman reminded him of someone he knew.

He then glanced around briefly, where it became apparent that the woman was likely there with some friends but has find herself without a dance partner.

The two stared at each other briefly while people danced around them, and then the woman gestured towards the main dance floor in front of the stage.

"想要跳舞嗎?" (Looking for a dance?) The woman asked as she gestured towards the main dance floor.

Garfield's eyebrows relaxed before he nodded and held his hands forward. "妳先。" (After you.)

The woman smiled as she took Garfield's hand and gently led him onto the main dance floor, and Garfield swiftly shuffled his feet towards her in the rhythm of the music, just as the rest of the big band returned to playing the main theme.

As that was happening, the man struggled his way through the crowd of dancers towards Garfield, the frown on his face deepening as if he was a jealous husband or boyfriend who had just caught his significant other flirting with another man.

Garfield and the woman were soon dancing smoothly with the beat of the music, and it was soon apparent that they were both enjoying the time dancing together, which involved the duo moving back and forth while holding each other by the right hand and some spinning and lifting.

Just as the duo returned to dancing hand-in-hand, Garfield felt someone tapping his shoulder.

Even though the man was behind him, Garfield himself had a pretty good idea on who he was about to deal with, judging from the change in expression on his dance companion's face.

Pausing from the dancing, Garfield turned around and asked, "係?" (Yes?)

Without warning, the man swiftly delivered a punch right at his face, though Garfield was swift in responding by quickly grabbing the man's fist.

Before the man could respond, Garfield delivered a punch to his groin, prompting the man to wince in pain from the punch.

With one hand grabbing the man by the collar, Garfield paused briefly as he turned towards his dance companion and raised the index finger of his other hand.

"失陪一下下。" (Excuse me for a minute.) Garfield said to the woman, who nodded understandingly.

Without missing a beat, Garfield swiftly dragged the man by the collar to the side of the dance floor and slammed him against the wall.

At that very moment, the man's two confederates managed to break off from their dancing and wasted no time coming to the man's aid.

The man, upon seeing his two confederates, immediately gestured his head towards the stairs, as if he was telling them not to worry about him.

When the two men hesitated, the man glared at them firmly and gestured his head towards the stairs once again.

Noting the firm look on their leader's face, the two men nodded before breaking off and made their way towards the stairs.

Even so, the man Garfield had grabbed by the collar had a couple more tricks up his sleeve as he swiftly snapped his fingers.

Before Garfield could question the man, he was abruptly grabbed from behind and pulled away from the man.

"嘿!" (Hey!) Garfield exclaimed as he realized that there were two other henchmen nearby with one of them lifting him up.

With Garfield no longer gripping him by the collar, the man adjusted his coat before marching towards him and nodded towards the hallway adjacent to the back stairs.

The two henchmen both nodded as they held Garfield firmly and dragged him down the hallway into the backroom, where Garfield noted the sign on the door that says, "工作人員專用 - Employees only"

* * *

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	15. The attack and aftermath

Chapter 15: The attack and aftermath

**Time: 21:10 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Meanwhile, back upstairs, Lee was listening intently to the conversation between Lu and Yikui when he heard the elevator lighting up from the other end of the adjacent hallway from the room.

Swiftly, the inspector quickly hid under an unused desk beside the wall separating the elevator and adjacent hallway to the main hallway.

Turning towards the door, Lee looked on just as the elevator arrived at the second floor and two waiters got off, each carrying a pile of plates to be washed.

The two waiters rounded the corner and made their way down the hallway towards the end on the other side of the room Lu and Yikui were meeting at, paying no attention to Lee.

Lee frowned at the sight of the two waiters carrying the pile of plates. Since when has the night club installed a dishwasher or placed the dish storage on the second floor?

He made a note to check out the storage room later once he noted the room the two waiters had entered, and he resumed listening into the conversation as the two waiters made their way down the stairs.

"You lot are going to need to move fast before those two bugger this all up." Yikui was speaking as Lee resumed listening to the conversation.

"Of course, Leung is taking care of that as we speak, boss." A third voice replied. "However, those two meddlers bugging things up here are the least of our worries."

"Care to elaborate on that?" Yikui demanded, and Lee frowned further.

"We have reason to believe that Forever Enlightened is planning a raid here tonight." The third voice continued. "Before those two meddlers arrived, we had to throw out a couple of unruly guests that were screwing around."

"Except that those unruly guests were scouting the area in advancement for the raid?" Lu asked.

"Affirmative." The third man nodded. "Joe and I didn't recognise them two until we spotted the Forever Enlightened tattoo on their shoulders when we threw them out the main door."

Lee almost jumped when what sounded like a fist pounding on the desk can be heard, and the dragging of a chair indicated that Yikui was standing up right after he slammed his fist on the desk.

"D*mn it!" Yikui barked. "I've warned Gwok to keep his men on the alert, yet he never bothered to check up on Fong, who's now in prison thanks to a bunch of meddling kids."

"And I thought I was the reckless one." Lu scoffed and shook his head. "But either way, we can't allow Forever Enlightened to take our cash cow away without a fight."

"Exactly." Yikui nodded. "Which means we're moving the package to another secure location."

"Of course." Lu nodded as he and the third man both stood up. "We better move fast before Gwok and his gang come spoil the party."

"Yes, and in the meantime, I want you lot to see to it that those two meddlers snooping around in here don't make it out alive." Yikui added. "Is that understood?"

Immediately, Lu and the third man nodded. "Yes, sir!"

As that was happening, Lee's frown deepened.

 _我該去警告吳先生! (I better go warn Mr. Wu!)_ The inspector thought to himself, but before he could move a muscle, a pair of footsteps can be heard rushing up the stairs.

Just as Lee turned around, the source of the pair of footsteps reached the top of the stairs, and immediately the two men from earlier paused when they spotted Lee.

Lee hesitated briefly before seeing the hammer on the unused desk and swiftly picked it up.

"建築安全檢查員。" (Building safety inspector.) Lee quickly said to the two men at the stairs as he gently knocked the hammer on a nearby wall.

Inside the room, Yikui, Lu and the third man heard Lee speaking outside, and Yikui, who was at the emergency exit, nodding towards the main door firmly.

Nodding back, Lu and the third man walked over to the main door and opened it while Yikui quickly slipped away.

The awkward silence outside was broken when Lu turned to Lee and beckoned him into the room, saying, "大樓的工程圖在內。" (The building's floor plans are inside.)

Lee paused briefly as he looked at Lu, then he glanced towards the three henchmen accompanying the gangster.

Even though he was armed with a hammer, without the martial arts skills of Garfield, Lee knew he wasn't a match to the Lu and the trio.

Without missing a beat, Lee followed Lu and the three henchmen into the room.

As that was happening, at the nearby dark alleyway, several more henchmen were loading up a parked cargo van as Yikui got onto the front passenger seat.

One of the henchmen can be seen carrying a little burden, whose muffled screams can be heard from the cloth bag covering her head, and loading her into the cargo bay of the vehicle.

Once the rear doors were shut, the van drove off into the streets while the remaining henchmen got onto another car idling close behind and drove off.

* * *

**Time: 21:15 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Back downstairs, Garfield was dragged into what appeared to be a storeroom by the three men he had encountered earlier.

He frowned as the first man stared him down while his two confederates held him down on each side, and he glanced around the store room.

There were stacks of bags of rice, unopened bags of corn starch, unused kitchen utensils hanging from the nearby wall and cleaning chemicals at the bottom of a storage rack.

Garfield's frown deepened as he pondered his options before his eyes rolled back to the man standing in front of him, who was glaring at him menacingly.

"你真的以為你可以隨時來這裡搞你的把戲嗎，吳先生?" (You honestly think you are free to come here and do your tricks any time as you pleased, Mr. Wu?) The first man demanded as he fixated his glare at Garfield.

Garfield only narrowed his eyes as he glared back at the man defiantly, not surprised at the fact that the man somehow knew his name.

Not waiting for a response from Garfield, the man turned towards his two confederates and nodded.

The two men nodded back firmly and tightened their grip on Garfield, and the man proceeded to deliver a punch at Garfield's stomach.

Garfield winced briefly in pain as the man took a step back and asked, "被迫入甕的感覺如何?" (How does it feel to take a dose of your own medicine?)

As the man glared at him in expectation, Garfield only maintained the defiant look on his face.

"事實上，我每天都有在入甕的。" (Actually, this dose of my own medicine happens to be my prescription.) Garfield replied nonchalantly.

The man arched his eyebrows in response. "係做甚麼用的?" (What for?)

Garfield's eyes darted towards the man before he said, "瞧。" (Observe.)

Before the man could respond, Garfield abruptly lifted both of his feet up and swiftly planted themselves right into the man's chest.

The man was completely caught off guard by the kick, and he stumbled backwards right into the wall behind him, where he rattled several of the unused utensils hanging on the wall.

The rattling from the collision caused a couple of frying pans above to be detached from the hooks and fell right onto the man, who was then knocked over as the frying pans landed on his head.

His two henchmen were stunned briefly at the sight in front of them, and Garfield swiftly took the opportunity to swing his feet upwards, kicking the henchmen right in their faces.

As the two henchmen stumbled, they let go of their grips on Garfield, leading him to fall downwards, though he was quick in getting his feet back on the ground and paused his fall.

Squatting on the floor briefly, Garfield swiftly stood up as the two henchmen recovered and turned towards him and one of them pulled out a knife.

Seeing the knife, Garfield turned around and swiftly grabbed one of the unopened bags of corn starch.

As the henchmen charged towards him with the knife in hand, Garfield swiftly tossed the bag of corn starch right towards them.

With the blade of the knife cutting the bag of corn starch open, the powdery substance inside began to fluff out through the opening and create a fog.

Both henchmen grunted as they continued to charge towards Garfield, swinging their knives at him as Garfield ducked and tossed another bag towards the duo.

As the henchmen swung their knives, the blades ends up slashing the bag open, creating more powdery fog in the room as a result.

With the powdery fog now covering much of the storage room, the two henchmen find themselves unable to see, and they paused and looked around with their knives in hand.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Garfield used the fog as camouflage as he sneak up to one of the henchmen and covered his mouth and nose with a cloth that he had dabbed with chlorine.

Without missing a beat, Garfield then proceeded to do the same thing to the second henchman as the fog cleared up.

By the time the fog had fully cleared up, Garfield was looking right at the two henchmen, who were now unconscious and were lying on the floor.

Garfield exhaled and turned around, only to frown when he saw that the lead man wasn't at where the frying pans were.

He was starting to get a very good idea on where that man was when he heard a gun click behind him, and he dropped the cloth he was holding and slowly raised his hands.

"好了，遊戲已經結束了，吳先生。" (Alright, the game's up, Mr. Wu.) The man said as he aimed his gun right at Garfield in the chest. "你以為只有你有把戲嗎?" (You think you're the only one with tricks up your sleeve?)

As Garfield inhaled, the man continued, "除非你晚餐想要吃子彈的話，我建議你-" (Unless you want to have lead for dinner, I strongly suggest that-)

The man didn't have a chance to finish his sentence, as a loud "Bang!" suddenly cut him off.

As soon as Garfield no longer feel the gun barrel pressed against his chest, he turned around to see the man had a foolish look on his face before slumping onto the floor.

Much to Garfield's surprise, his dance partner from earlier was standing behind the man, armed with a frying pan.

The woman threw daggers right at the man that was threatening Garfield earlier, and Garfield exhaled in relief as he walked towards the woman.

* * *

**Time: 21:20 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Meanwhile, back upstairs, Lee had a pretty good idea on what was going on as Lu and the trio of henchmen were staring at him menacingly after they grabbed the hammer from him.

As that was happening, the inspector caught a glimpse of the convoy of vehicles carrying Yikui driving off before Lu nodded at one of the henchmen.

Without missing a beat, the henchman proceeded to do a quick search of Lee, who raised his arms with a gesture of surrender on his face.

A few seconds later, the henchman felt something in the left pocket of Lee's trousers, and he reached into it before pulling out Lee's badge.

The inspector looked on as the henchman glanced at Lu before tossing the badge onto the coffee table as if it was garbage, and Lu turned towards Lee.

"你係跟我講電話的那位幫辦。" (You're the inspector that I spoke with on the phone.) Lu stated as he drew his gun.

"欸，不用這樣。" (Hey, there's no need for this.) Lee said as he kept his arms in the air.

"幫辦，我給你一個建議。" (Let me give you a piece of advice, Inspector.) Lu said. "別人到時候會被你那張烏鴉嘴給害死的。" (Someone else is gonna get killed by your loudmouth.)

"我有一個更好的建議。" (I've got a better piece of advice.) Lee retorted. "你如果這麼壯的話，為甚麼你不放下那支槍、然後像一位正漢的跟我打啊?" (If you're so tough, why don't you put down that gun and fight me like a man?)

Lu exhaled as he glared daggers at Lee, then he put down his gun and turned towards his henchmen.

The trio all nodded before Lu stepped backwards, then without warning, the henchman standing behind Lee abruptly shoved him forward.

Before Lee could catch his balance, the henchman that searched him earlier delivered a kick right into his chest.

As the inspector crouched in pain, he looked up just as another henchman delivered a kick right into his chin.

Rubbing his chin in pain, Lee straightened up and turned towards the three henchmen that were now standing in front of him.

"你們哪一位混蛋剛剛踢我的?" (Which one of you jerks kicked me?) Lee demanded.

Immediately, the henchman in front of him stepped forward and raised his hand. "我。" (Me.)

Recalling some of the moves Garfield had made, Lee narrowed his eyes as he held his hands up.

"你完蛋了。" (You're so screwed.) The inspector growled.

* * *

**Time: 21:25 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Meanwhile, back downstairs, Garfield and the woman wasted no time tying up the trio before leaving them behind at the storage room.

"那三人看你不順眼嗎?" (Those three fellas having trouble with you?) The woman asked as she pointed her thumb towards the storage room.

"差不多。" (Something like that.) Garfield replied nonchalantly as he turned towards her and continued, "妳搭配的時間真的很精準...而..." (Your timing was perfect, uh...Miss...)

"我姓安，名光瑀。" (On. Emily On.) On introduced herself before adding, "你的跳舞技術和武術都很巧妙...而..." (Your martial arts and dancing skills are really brilliant, uh...Mr...)

"我姓吳，名廣慶。" (The name's Wu. Garfield Wu.) Garfield smiled as he adjusted his bow tie.

"一位像你長得這麼帥的先生在這裡做甚麼啊?" (What brought a handsome devil like you to here?) On smiled.

Garfield flushed briefly as he glanced first towards the storage room, then the stairs, and then he turned back towards On.

"係一個很長的故事。" (It's a long story.) Garfield said. "我有一個朋友，他係警察。我陪他來這裡找一個人。" (I've got a friend, he's a policeman. I accompanied him here to find someone.)

"啊。" (Ah.) On nodded thoughtfully, though before she could continue, their conversation was interrupted when something was smashed right through the main front window, shattering the glass in the process.

There were some gasps from the party goers as the music stopped, and many eyes turned towards the source of the racket.

A brick-like device was laying on the floor, accompanied by several shades of the broken glass.

Garfield broke off from On to take a closer look at the object, though when he did, his eyes widened.

Without missing a beat, Garfield turned towards the crowd and shouted, "大家去緊急出口!" (Everyone head for the emergency exit!)

Before everyone could heed Garfield's warning, the device went off abruptly, filling the entire room with smoke.

There were coughs from the crowd as the smoke filled the air, and several patrons were gasping for fresh air.

Then, without warning, another smoke bomb was tossed through the broken window and went off, followed by another.

As the crowd began to retreat, all in a sudden, several masked men dressed in white shirts and armed with bamboo sticks and steel rods burst into the night club.

Screams can be heard as the masked men began to indiscriminately beat several of the patrons in the night club, and several can be seen scrambling for the emergency exit.

As that happened, Garfield managed to find his way back to On and gently pushed her in the direction towards the nearest emergency exit.

"趕快!" (Hurry up!) Garfield urged quietly as he managed to shield On away from the crowd that was beginning to get caught up by the mob attack.

Amidst the chaos that was unfolding around them, Garfield managed to get On to the nearest emergency exit.

When she pushed the door open and stepped out into the alley, as some other patrons began to race through the open door, she turned towards Garfield, who was standing still.

"你不來嗎?" (You're not coming?) On asked.

Garfield shook his head. "我需要去救我的朋友。" (I need to go rescue my friend.)

"你確定嗎?" (Are you sure?) On asked with a tone of disbelief in her voice. "那些罪犯在找人去毒打的，你會被-" (Those mobsters are finding people to beat up, and you're going to-)

"不要擔心我。" (Don't worry about me.) Garfield cut in as he pushed On further away from the exit door. "我會看好自己。" (I can look after myself.)

Then, seeing the skeptical look on On's face, Garfield then added, "快走!" (Go!)

Without waiting for a response from the woman, Garfield turned away and quickly raced back into the nightclub.

On pondered following him back inside, though with the crowd racing out of the door, she sighed before turning away and joined everyone else in evacuating from the night club.

* * *

Back upstairs, Lee was in a worse position than before following his challenging the henchman that kicked him earlier to a fight.

The inspector find himself tied onto a chair with his shoulder stinging in pain following the brief fight, and Lu and the trio of henchmen were staring him down menacingly.

In spite of the pain, Lee remained defiant as he demanded, "你們這些人真的以為我會放棄尋找你們綁架的那位女孩嗎?" (You lot really think I'm going to give up finding the girl you kidnapped?)

"在這個情況下，你還不如吃你自己了。" (In this case, you might as well go eat yourself.) Lu sneered at the inspector. "你不會在這裡找到那位女孩的，而就算你能夠毫無受傷的走出這家夜總會，你也會面臨很大的麻煩的。" (You're not going to find the girl here anyway, and even if you make it out of here unharmed, you're going to be facing big trouble.)

Lee scoffed defiantly, and Lu was about to speak when he was interrupted by glass-shattering from downstairs, followed by several screams and what sounded like punches and a pub fight.

Raising an eyebrow, Lu and one of the henchmen walked towards the front window and looked down, and they both stepped back in surprise by what was occurring downstairs.

Without missing a beat, Lu made his way towards the emergency exit and paused before he turned towards his henchmen and dragged his finger across his neck.

Nodding, the three henchmen turned their attention back to Lee as Lu slipped away.

As that was happening, back downstairs, Garfield fought his way through the crowd as he made his way towards the stairs.

Just as he managed to reach the stairs, one of the white shirts swung his bamboo stick right at him.

Without missing a beat, right before impact, Garfield abruptly reached towards his back and grabbed the bamboo stick from the white shirt.

Before the white shirt had a chance to respond, Garfield seized the bamboo stick from his hands and promptly lifted his left leg as he held the stick on both ends with both hands and snapped it into two.

The white shirt was stunned by the move briefly before he quickly retaliated by attempting to deliver a punch right at Garfield, who effortlessly lifted his leg and used it to block the punch and proceeded to deliver a kick right in the white shirt's chest, sending him backwards.

The white shirt ended up stumbling right into one of his confederates, who was in the process of beating a man with an steel rod.

Feeling the impact from Garfield's kick, the second white shirt, upon spotting Garfield at the stairs, immediately dropped the man and stormed towards Garfield.

Seeing the second white shirt charging towards him and swinging the steel rod in his hand, Garfield frowned before glancing at the stairs behind him.

Just as the second white shirt swung the steel rod right towards him, Garfield immediately ducked downwards.

During the process, Garfield swung around and delivered a kick right into the second white shirt's legs, knocking the gangster off balance.

As the second white shirt was knocked off his feet, the steel rod slipped off his hands and was spinning in mid-air as Garfield stood up.

Without missing a beat, Garfield flipped around and with his feet in the air, he delivered a kick to the steel rod that sent it flying right towards a third white shirt that was smashing a plate into a woman that was taking up resistance.

The third white shirt was about to use his bamboo stick on the woman when the spinning steel rod Garfield had kicked earlier slammed right into his head, knocking him off cold.

Upon seeing the source of the spinning steel rod that had knocked out her assailant, the woman exhaled in relief as she watched Garfield landing on his feet.

Swiftly, Garfield pointed towards the emergency exit and shouted, "快跑!" (Get out!)

The woman nodded as Garfield's simultaneous take-down of three of the white shirts caught the attention of the remaining white shirts, who then dropped what they were doing and charged towards Garfield.

The second white shirt also joined the fray upon getting up, during which Garfield leaped into the air and his hands grabbed onto the guard rail of the stairs.

Just as the second white shirt was about to launch his attack, Garfield used the momentum from the swing and delivered a kick right into the white shirt's face, sending him backwards.

The charging white shirts had to pause briefly to support their confederate, then the leading man pointed at Garfield on the stairs and shouted, "抓他!" (Get him!)

With a whole cadre of white shirts racing towards him, Garfield quickly hurried up the stairs.

As that was happening, the three henchmen looking over Lee heard more of the commotion downstairs, and one of them offered to go check the hallway.

With his other two confederates looking over Lee, the third henchman went through the door and immediately spotted Garfield at the top of the stairs, as well as two of the white shirts charging up the stairs.

Recognizing the white shirts as members of Forever Enlightened, the henchman glared at Garfield.

"你這個混蛋!" (You fool!) The henchman shouted as Garfield charged towards him. "你把他們引來這裡的!" (You lead them here!)

"女孩在哪裡?" (Where's the girl?) Garfield demanded.

"她不在這裡!" (She's not here!) The henchman shouted as he retreated back into the room and slammed the door shut before Garfield could catch up.

When his two confederates arched their eyebrows, the henchman said, "係恆光瑜!" (It's Forever Enlightened!)

"可惡!" (Blast!) The second henchman said and nodded towards the emergency exit. "把這個垃圾留在這裡。他現在係恆光瑜的問題了!" (Leave this jerk here. He's now Forever Enlightened's problem.)

The other two henchmen nodded, and they proceeded to make their way towards the emergency exit, but not before pointing their guns at Lee.

"想都別想!" (Don't even think about it!) The third henchman glared at Lee as Garfield pounded on the door.

The trio then slipped away just as Garfield managed to kick the door down, finding Lee seated on the couch, bruised but otherwise unharmed.

"你還好嗎，督察?" (Are you all right, Inspector?) Garfield asked as he immediately rushed over to untie Lee.

"除了我的胸部以外，我現在還好。" (Other than my chest, I'm alright.) Lee replied once he was freed.

Garfield turned towards the doorway and saw several of the white shirts marching down the hallway towards them, then he turned towards Lee and said, "我很確定如果我們現在不找辦法出去的話，你的確不會好的。" (I'm sure that if we don't figure a way out of here, you won't be alright.)

Lee nodded, though before he could say something, several police sirens can be heard from the nearby street, and the duo glanced at each other.

As if on cue, the white shirts paused before they glanced at each other and quickly took off down the stairs.

Without missing a beat, Lee stood up and rushed towards the doorway.

"我們不能讓他們逃走的!" (We can't let them get away!) Lee urged as Garfield followed him down the hallway.

"在他們搞出這麼多的破壞的情況下，我們絕對不能讓他門逃走的。" (With them causing so much damage downstairs, we definitely can't let them get away.) Garfield agreed.

However, when the duo reached the bottom of the stairs, they were surprised to find the area deserted.

"搞甚麼?" (What in the-?) Lee asked.

"他們怎麼這麼快的清出來的?" (How did they evacuate the night club this fast?) Garfield looked around.

It was then that two people stepped through the front door, and the duo turned around.

Right at the front door stood Inspector Hung and Sergeant Hon, and they both didn't look impressed one bit when they saw Lee and Garfield.

* * *

**Time: 21:45 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

As the area became swarmed by police, Garfield find himself cast aside as Lee got a dressing-down from Chief Superintendent Chu, who was clearly not impressed one bit after Hon and Hung apprised him what had happened.

"恭喜你，李督察。" (Congratulations, Inspector Lee.) Chu chastised. "你又出了大包，而且你這次把一家高檔夜總會給摧毀掉了。" (You've did it again, and this time you've managed to single-handedly destroy a high-profile night club.)

"但這不係我做的!" (But this wasn't me!) Lee exclaimed. "半小時前，有一群白衣人闖來這裡把這裡搞成這樣的，更何況我當時係被綁在椅子上的!" (Half an hour ago, a group of white shirts charged in here and did this, not to mention that I was tied up in a chair during their rampage!)

"哼。" (Huh.) Chu scoffed. "又再找藉口。" (Looking for excuses again.)

"但係我說剛剛發生的事，吳先生也有-" (But about what just happened here, Mr. Wu had also-) Lee was about to retort, only for the chief superintendent to cut him off.

"不要再扯出吳先生了，督察。" (Stop bringing up Mr. Wu again, Inspector.) Chu barked. "你知道你這次出包造成的破壞有多大?" (Do you know how much damage you've caused from your negligence?)

As Chu continued with his dressing-down, Garfield frowned as he stared at the chief superintendent.

He looked on as Chu deflected away any counter arguments Lee was trying to raise, and Garfield scoffed and shook his head.

Just as he was shaking his head, he happened to catch a glimpse of a dark shadow that looked familiar from the nearby dark alleyway.

Glancing around, Garfield stood up and walked over towards the dark alleyway before glancing around the corner of the building.

He frowned when he recognised Inspector Hung and Sergeant Hon, though his frown deepened when he recognised the man the two investigators were meeting with.

 _是郭瑜! That's Gwok Yu!_ Garfield realised, during which he saw Gwok shaking Hung's hand and handed her a paper bag.

Without missing a beat, Garfield pulled out his Polaroid and snapped several photos of Hung and Hon accepting something from Gwok, then he turned towards the night club.

 _有件事讓我感到懷疑。 Something's not right about this._ Garfield thought to himself, during which Lee joined him after the dressing-down.

"朱總警司說甚麼?" (What did Chief Superintendent Chu say?) Garfield asked as he turned towards Lee.

Lee exhaled before replying, "從現在起，我現在係被suspend的。" (I am suspended as of this moment.)

Garfield exhaled as well. "從警務處被suspend的?" (Suspended from the police force?)

Lee nodded, and Garfield scoffed and shook his head. "不易外。" (Not surprised.)

Seeing the look on Garfield's face, Lee asked, "怎麼了?" (What's going on?)

Garfield pulled out the photos he had just captured and said, "我想我們被設計了。" (I think we had gotten set up.)

Lee turned towards the night club and nodded towards it. "你說恆光瑜來攻擊的時候?" (You mean when Forever Enlightened came to attack?)

Garfield nodded as he held up the photos. "瞧。" (Observe.)

Lee grabbed the photos from Garfield and took a look at it, then his eyes narrowed before he joined Garfield in glancing around the corner.

Watching Hon and Hung shaking Gwok's hand once more before parting ways in the dark alleyway, Lee and Garfield hid behind the nearby statue until the two investigators were out of sight and earshot.

With their eyes still on the duo, Lee said to Garfield, "那群混蛋!" (Those bastards!)

Garfield nodded in agreement as the anger was very evident in Lee's voice.

* * *

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	16. Refusing to drop the case

Chapter 16: Refusing to drop the case

_June 16, 1973_

**Time: 08:30 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

The next morning, Garfield and Lee were at the Shau Kei Wan station as requested.

Even though it was early in the morning and that the superintendent hasn't arrived at his office, Lee can feel that everyone in the squad room has their eyes on him.

"你認為警司會跟你說甚麼?" (What do you suppose the superintendent is gonna say to you?) Garfield asked as they arrived at the inspector's office.

"他鐵定會因為昨晚的風波而把這一案的出包怪在我上。" (He's definitely gonna blame last night's screw-up on me.) Lee replied.

"就算我們知道那兩位敗類係昨晚風坡的禍源。" (Even though we both know that those two disgraces were the ones responsible.) Garfield interjected as he referred to Hon and Hung.

"他係聽不進去的。" (He won't listen.) Lee scoffed. "更何況我們在快要破案的時候因為昨晚風波而被調走?我係不能接受的。" (Not to mention the fact that we're about to get suspended from the case just as we're getting close? I don't accept this.)

"說的也係。" (You can say that again.) Garfield agreed and scoffed. "他們那些敗類昨晚的行為實在係太過分了。" (Those two disgraces went really too far with their actions last night.)

Lee agreed. "他們不要我們在案中插進去也就算了。昨晚還搞這個飛機來搞砸我們的調查真的很不當。" (It's one thing for them to not want us on the case, but sabotaging our investigation last night with that stunt they pulled is another thing.)

Garfield nodded in agreement, and it was then that Superintendent Chin marched his way into the squad room.

When the superintendent's eyes settled on Lee and Garfield, Garfield glanced at Lee briefly before they both stood up.

Even without saying a word, both Lee and Garfield knew that the superintendent has a lot to say about the matter from the previous night.

Maintaining the frown on his face, Superintendent Chin beckoned the duo to follow him to his office.

As soon as the trio were in the superintendent's office and have closed the door, Chin exhaled as he made no effort to hide his annoyance.

"說你們運氣好我今天整天需要去開一個高級警官的會，所以我現在沒有時間應付你們昨天晚上搞出來的風波。" (Consider yourselves lucky that I've got a senior officers meeting to attend all day, so I've got no time to deal with that debacle caused by you both last night.) Chin began calmly.

Garfield and Lee glanced at each other briefly as the superintendent exhaled once more, then he gestured at the copy of the morning edition of the _Ming Pao_ that was on his desk.

"但說到這一點，我在朱sir昨晚跟我解釋那場風波後有一個問題。" (That being said, after Chief Superintendent Chu explained last night's debacle to me, I've got one question.) Chin continued before he looked up at them and glared. "你們昨天晚上到底係在想甚麼?!" (What on earth were you both thinking last night?!)

Both Garfield and Lee didn't move a muscle, during which Chin glared at the duo squarely as he continued, "或應該這樣問:你們到底有沒有動腦筋啊?" (Or to put it this way: Were you both even thinking at all?)

Without missing a beat, Garfield stepped forward towards the superintendent's desk as he said, "警司，你如果讓我解釋-" (Superintendent, if you let me explain-)

Chin immediately cut in and said, "你先不要說一句話，吳先生。我要李督察好好的解釋他這次出包係-" (Don't say anything just yet, Mr. Wu. I want Inspector Lee to explain carefully this latest time he's screwed-)

"恕我直言，警司。" (With all due respect, sir.) Garfield quickly cut in. "昨晚的風波並不係李督察的責任。" (Last night's debacle wasn't Inspector Lee's responsibility.)

"喔，係嗎?" (Oh, is that right?) Chin stood up abruptly as he continued, "吳先生，我很確定你在身為顧問偵探做事的方式上面，別人對你的評價係讚賞有加的。" (Mr. Wu, make no mistake, I'm sure that a lot of people have nothing but praise for your work as a consulting detective.)

In spite of being slightly intimidated by the superintendent's glare, Garfield refused to back down as he leaned closer in a glaring match of sorts with Chin.

"那你的問題係甚麼?" (Then, what's your problem?) Garfield demanded.

"昨晚的風波讓我認為你不但沒有糾正李督察的行為，還開始養上了他的壞習慣!" (Last night's debacle tells me that not only you fail to correct Inspector Lee's errors, you even started taking on several of his poor habits yourself!) Chin responded.

"就算昨晚的風波係洪督察和韓警長跟黑社會人士交流、合作的成果?" (Even though last night's debacle was the result of Inspector Hung and Sergeant Hon colluding with the mob?) Garfield raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms.

Chin narrowed his eyes as Lee looked on, and Garfield simply stared at the superintendent expectantly.

Eventually, Chin exhaled before he asked, "你在此有甚麼證據嗎?" (You've got any evidence of this?)

Without a word, Garfield pulled out the photo he had captured the night before, the one depicting Hon and Hung's incriminating handshake with Gwok.

"所以呢?" (Well?) Garfield demanded as the superintendent examined the photo. "你認出照片中的那位傢伙?" (You recognise the fella in the photo?)

Chin only glared as he looked up at Garfield, who then pointed right at Gwok in the photo.

"除非你已經忘了你身為警司的責任，你應該認出郭瑜的。" (Unless you've forgotten about your responsibilities as superintendent of police, you should recognise Gwok.) Garfield added as he tapped his finger right at Gwok. "更何況昨晚襲擊的禍首非恆光瑜莫屬的。" (Not to mention last night's attack was the handiwork of Forever Enlightened.)

Lee folded his arms, which is when Chin intensified the glare on his face.

"你們給我滾出我的辦公室。" (Get the h*ll out of my office, both of you.) The superintendent demanded.

Almost immediately, Lee stepped forward.

"警司，我想你沒有聽清楚吳先生在-" (Superintendent, I don't think you understand what Mr. Wu was-) Lee interjected, only for Chin to stand up from his seat and slammed his hands on his desk.

"你們有聽清楚我剛剛的下令嗎?" (Did you both hear my orders loud and clear?) Chin snapped. "還係你們需要我教訓你們要如何聽從命令的?!" (Or do you need me to teach you both a lesson on following orders?!)

Garfield and Lee glanced at each other, then they both stepped towards the door.

"朱sir已經向處長報告你們昨晚的事，他也正要向外交部報告你做事的態度，吳先生。" (Chief Superintendent Chu has already reported your conduct to the Commissioner, and he's gonna contact the Foreign Office to report on your conduct, Mr. Wu.) Chin continued, prompting the duo to pause briefly. "我根本不了解當初Merton署長僱用你的時候到底在想甚麼，但我想你們加拿大外交部事後會跟他好好的談話。" (I have no idea what on earth was Commissioner Merton thinking when he decided to bring you onto the case, though I'm confident that Canada's Department of External Affairs is gonna have a good word with him after all of this.)

Garfield exhaled while Chin continued, "另外，李督察，你可以認定自己從現在開始係被停職的。" (As for you, Inspector Lee, consider yourself suspended as of this moment.)

A brief pause went by before the duo resumed exiting the office, only for Chin to clear his throat.

Without missing a beat, Lee and Garfield turned around and see the superintendent reaching his hand out.

With a frown, Garfield looked on as Lee reluctantly walked back to Chin's desk and handed the superintendent his weapon and badge.

* * *

Ng was standing right outside Chin's office when Lee and Garfield stepped out, and the chief inspector could tell that the duo's meeting with Chin didn't go well one bit, judging from the snippets of the conversation he had overheard and the frowns on their faces.

When the duo spotted Ng at the doorway, the chief inspector scoffed and shook his head.

"我聽說昨晚發生甚麼事，我一點也不訝異朱sir和陳警司把禍頭怪到你們的。" (I gathered what happened last night, and I am not surprised one bit that Chief Superintendent Chu and Superintendent Chin placed the blame on you both.) Ng said as they began returning to the squad room.

Garfield and Lee both grunted while Ng continued, "我想你現在被停職了嗎?" (I suppose that you've also been suspended.)

Lee nodded. "他不願意讓吳先生解釋清楚昨晚風波的廬山真面目。" (He wasn't willing to let Mr. Wu fully explain the circumstances related to last night's debacle.)

Ng scoffed. "我也聽得出來。" (I can totally see that.)

Garfield pulled out the photo he had showed Chin earlier and said, "更何況這幾張照片係我們需要的證據。" (Especially since these photos are the evidence we need.)

Ng narrowed his eyes further as he took a look at the photos of Hung and Hon's incriminating handshakes with Gwok, and he shook his head once more.

"我也在想。" (That figures.) The chief inspector scoffed. "所以現在問題就係我們下一個步驟係甚麼。" (The question now is what should be our next step?)

Garfield and Lee both frowned as they glanced at each other, then the former folded his arms.

"我們必須更進一步的了解恆光瑜最終的目標係甚麼。" (We need to get a better understanding on what Forever Enlighten's end goal is in all of this.) Garfield offered. "我們目前知道他們打算攻佔一大塊的攤子，但係他們從個案子上面會獲得甚麼樣的利益?" (We know so far that they intend to take over One Piece's operations, though what do they seek to gain by getting themselves involved in this case?)

Lee and Ng glanced at each other, then they both nodded thoughtfully.

"當然，我們會需要更多的跟這兩個幫派有關的file。" (Of course, we're gonna need more of the files that are related to those two gangs.) Lee murmured. "但在我被停職的情況下，我們要如何拿到它們?" (But with me being suspended, how are we supposed to get them?)

"更何況我很確定你已經有很多其他的案件需要處理的。" (Not to mention I'm sure you've got a ton of other cases to take care of.) Garfield added as he turned towards Ng.

"別擔心。" (Not to worry.) Ng said. "我知道要如何處理。" (I know how to take care of that.)

Garfield and Lee both arched their eyebrows briefly before the latter said, "那等一下我們九點半就在我的公寓會集。這應該會給你充分的時間拿到我們需要的文件。" (Then, we'll convene at my flat at 9:30. That should give you enough time to get us the files we need.)

Ng nodded before the trio proceeded to went their separate ways.

* * *

**Time: 09:25 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

No sooner did Garfield and Lee arrived at the latter's flat did Ng came through with his procurement of the files they've needed.

"你們需要的資料都在這些文件裡。" (The information you need are in these files.) Ng stated as he handed the duo the files.

Garfield and Lee arched their eyebrows briefly before they proceeded to divide up the stack, during which Ng continued. "不過馮安生的資料並不完整。" (However, the information on A. Fong's file is incomplete.)

"怎麼會?" (How come?) Lee prompted.

"根據文件組人員的解釋，他們說馮安生的文件有一些資料頁被搞丟還係甚麼的..." (According to the records department, they say that some pages in Fong's file were misplaced or something...) Ng said before he scoffed and added, "一定係馮安生的文件夾有一些親向恆光瑜人員不想要我們知道的資料。" (Must be the fact that Fong's file has information that those friendly to Forever Enlightened doesn't want us to know about.)

"我也不意外。" (I'm not surprised.) Garfield scoffed before he added, "但經你這麼一說，我認為我知道幾個可以幫忙我們接收到我們需要關於馮安生資料的人。" (Though now that you've mentioned that, I believe I know someone who could help us acquire the information we need on Fong.)

It was Ng's turn to arch his eyebrows as Lee turned towards him and asked, "誰?" (Who?)

"一群有幫美國當局在舊金山把馮安生逮捕歸案的人。" (A group who had helped the American authorities in the arrest of Fong in San Francisco.) Garfield explained before adding, "你這裡有傳真機嗎?" (Do you have a fax machine here?)

Lee nodded. "美國當局應該在馮安生上有比較完整的資訊。" (The American authorities should have more complete information on him.)

Ng nodded as well before he turned to take his leave. "那我就把事情留給你們交代。" (Then I'll leave you both to it.)

As the chief inspector stepped out of Lee's flat and closed the door, Lee turned towards Garfield.

"美國舊金山現在係幾點?" (What time is it over at San Francisco right now?) Lee asked.

Garfield checked his watch. "現在下午五點半左右，他們比香港慢16個小時。" (Right now it's around 17:30 over there. Hong Kong's ahead of them by 16 hours.)

Lee arched his eyebrows briefly. "你該不會需要時間調時差嗎?畢竟你住的地方比我們慢-" (Don't you need the time to deal with the jet lag? After all, where you live is behind us by-)

"事實上，我住在加拿大首都渥太華。" (Actually, I live in Canada's capital Ottawa.) Garfield explained. "他在加美東岸，比這裡慢13個小時。" (It's near the East Coast of Canada and the US, so it's behind 13 hours.)

Lee nodded thoughtfully. "無論如何，我們該出動了。" (Either way, we better get moving.)

"當然。" (Of course.) Garfield nodded back as Lee lead him to the telephone. "我們沒剩多少時間了。" (We're running out of time.)

* * *

**Time: 09:35 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Over at the Canadian Commission, Merton was fuming in his office following a morning of updates from the DSD.

He was highly skeptical of the version of events presented by Chief Superintendent Chu, considering the fact that Lee, Garfield and Ng have already briefed him on the progress they've made in the investigation before the debacle the night before.

Even so, he wasn't expecting the plan to went up in smoke the way it did, though he largely kept his thoughts and suspicions to himself as Chu, Hon and Hung explained how Garfield and Lee came to foul things up and that his desire to see the case through the end may have made their jobs harder.

"So this is why I'm imploring you to step aside and let us professionals do our job, Commissioner." Chu urged. "Time is not on our side, and if you continue to let your personal feelings for your daughter cloud your judgement, then your efforts are only going to backfire on you."

Merton groaned as he stared at the chief superintendent, though before he could say something, the telephone began to rang.

Swiftly, Chu turned towards Hung and Hon, who quickly manned the phone-tracking system nearby.

No sooner did the two investigators put on their headphones did Merton pick up the phone and answered, "Hello?"

"Commissioner Merton." It was Lu at the other end of the line. "It seems like you have difficulty of hearing."

"Well, what do you expect?" Merton demanded. "Where is my daughter? Is she still-"

"Your daughter's at a safe place for now, Commissioner." Lu cut in. "However, you should know that I don't like anyone who plays smart, and I'm sure you don't need me to explain how much I was not pleased when you failed to follow my instructions that first time."

Merton exhaled as Lu continued, "As such, the ransom demand has increased from $1140000 to five million dollars, and if you try to pull one more trick, I cannot guarantee that your daughter is going to be alive when we've concluded our business here. Is that understood?"

Immediately, Merton snapped, "Can I at least speak to my daughter to know that she's still okay?!"

When Lu didn't respond, the commissioner demanded, "Where is she?!"

By that point, Lu had already hung up at the other end, and Merton stared at the phone briefly before slamming the earpiece down and turned towards Chu.

Chu only nodded solemnly, and Merton exhaled as Hon and Hung took off their headsets and stood up from their seats.

* * *

In that same time, as Lee began to pour through the files, Garfield had dialled a number and was drumming his fingers as he awaited for his long-distance call to be connected.

He frowned as he glanced at the kitchen clock, and then he turned towards the nearby wall and saw a much-younger Lee standing with a woman in a portrait photo hung on the wall.

The frown on Garfield's face disappeared as he saw just how happy Lee looked with the woman, the former dressed in a suit and wearing a fedora while the latter was wearing a cheongsam.

Garfield could tell that neither Lee nor the woman shared any distinctive facial features, and a quick glance at their fingers lead to the conclusion that they were, at one point, engaged.

He then remembered seeing a shrine in Lee's living room, and shadows began to form on his face as he started to have a very good idea on what became of the woman that was accompanying Lee in that photo.

It was then that Garfield's long-distance call was connected, and he spoke, "Hey, Fred. I hope you and the gang are doing well."

A pause went by before Garfield said, "Aw, shucks. Kinda wish I was there with you guys in your run-in with Josie and the Pussycats at Liverpool."

Garfield then glanced at the clock before saying, "Yeah, anyways, I need a favour from you guys. I'm in Hong Kong right now and it's kinda a long story, but long story short, I was hoping you guys can get me a gang file and fax it over here."

Another pause went by before Garfield nodded. "That's right. An individual who you guys were responsible for locking up in San Francisco, he's sorta related to a kidnapping that I'm investigating here in Hong Kong. I'm sure you guys know the name of the person in question."

After another pause, Garfield nodded again. "That's right. A. Fong."

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Quarry's Bay police station, one of the records clerks had gone out on a tea break following a dull morning.

When the clerk returned with a mug of tea, she stopped by the checkout booklet to see the list of names that has checked out cold case files.

The clerk paused when she came upon a familiar-looking name on the booklet, and she frowned as she saw the file numbers that were checked out under the name.

Without missing a beat, the clerk put down her mug of tea and reached over to the telephone and dialled a number.

When the party at the other end answered, the clerk spoke, "係我。" (It's me.)

A pause went by before she explained, "有人又去接觸了一些舊的文件。" (Someone's been checking out the old files again.)

The second pause was much shorter as the clerk continued, "沒錯。你會知道姓名。" (That's right. You will know the name.)

Another pause followed before the clerk said, "陳國灣警司。" (Superintendent Chin Gwok-Wan.)

* * *

**Please read and reivew!**


	17. It hits the fan

Chapter 17: It hits the fan

**Time: 10:00 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

Over at the Canadian Commission, Chu, Hon and Hung were in the process of trying to retrace Lu's steps as Merton returned to his seat.

"So as we've known so far, Lu is the culprit in the kidnapping of your daughter, Commissioner." Hung began. "What is it that you could've done in the past, in Canada may I add, that would've resulted in Lu retaliating by pulling this off?"

Merton looked up at Chu as the chief superintendent nodded, "Especially given how professionally they've executed the kidnapping, this would point to very serious business that is deeply personal in nature."

"So this begs the question: Why would Lu target your daughter?" Hon prompted.

"I believe that I have the answer, gentlemen." A voice suddenly spoke, and the three police officers turned towards its source.

Standing at the doorway to Merton's office stood Chief Superintendent Douglas Graham, who was in his dress uniform, and Hon and Hung immediately snapped to attention while Merton stood up.

"Chief Superintendent Graham." Chu nodded.

"Chief Superintendent Chu." Graham nodded back as he stepped forward and approached Merton. "Dalton."

"Douglas." Merton said as he reached over to share a brief embrace with Graham.

As Graham patted Merton in the back, he said, "Sorry that I couldn't be here with you sooner at a time when your daughter's life is still in danger."

"Yeah, I should've thought of coming to you for help when news broke." Merton nodded. "Could've saved Mr. Wu a trip across the Pacific that is pretty much wasted now, considering what happened last night."

"I gathered." Graham nodded. "Nonetheless, we must continue with our work in getting your daughter back."

"Indeed." Merton agreed as Graham turned around to face Chu, Hon and Hung.

* * *

**Time: 11:45 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

"Thanks, Fred." Garfield was speaking on the telephone as the printer attached to the fax machine began printing out the file pages one by one.

Holding the earpiece between his ear and shoulder, Garfield reached over to the printer and scanned the pages briefly.

Once the pages were all printed out, Garfield then added, "Yes, I've got everything I need."

A pause went by before he nodded. "Appreciate the help, Fred. Say hi to the rest of the gang for me."

Lee was in the process of reading a file on Gwok when Garfield hung up the telephone, and the inspector promptly looked up.

"拿到我們需要的資料嗎?" (Got the information we need?) Lee prompted, and Garfield nodded as he held up the file that was faxed over.

"收到了。" (Received it.) Garfield replied in confirmation as Lee joined him in the kitchen.

Lee looked on as Garfield placed the file onto the table and flipped it open, and the inspector squinted as Fong's mugshot greeted them at the front page.

Flipping the mugshot aside, Lee proceeded to scan the first page of the file before moving to the summary detailing the case that resulted in Fong's arrest and subsequent incarceration.

"基本上，馮安生主要在經營恆光瑜在舊金山的走私和保護敲詐行動。(So basically, Fong was responsible for running Forever Enlightened's smuggling and protection racket operations in San Francisco) Garfield summarized. "為了避免他們的爛攤子被關上門，他和他的下手裝神弄鬼來嚇走任何可能會爆露他們的可疑行動的人。" (To avoid getting their operations shut down, he and his minions basically used a ghost legend to scare off any suspicious person.)

Lee arched his eyebrows. "他們係用甚麼傳說來裝神弄鬼的?" (What sort of legend did they employ?)

"依據我的了解，他們採用鄭陶之魂的傳說。" (From what I understood, they used the legend of the Ghost of Zen Tuo.) Garfield replied as he glanced at Lee. "但他再怎麼用傳說來暗度陳倉，馮安生到最後也沒有辦法逃脫被神秘事件公司一網打盡的命運。" (But even with the legend, Fong couldn't escape the inevitable of getting brought to justice in thanks to Mystery Inc.)

"我也看的出來。" (I can see that.) Lee nodded thoughtfully as he flipped through the file.

As that was happening, Garfield gestured at the photo he was looking at while waiting for his call to be connected and asked, "督察，你那張照片裡的那位姑娘係誰?" (Inspector, who's the lady in that photograph?)

Lee paused and turned towards Garfield, then he walked towards the photos and picked out the one Garfield was gesturing towards.

"你係話緊張照片嗎?" (Are you talking about this photograph?) Lee prompted as he held up the photo in question.

"係的。" (Yes.) Garfield nodded. "那位陪著您的姑娘係誰?" (Who's the lady accompanying you?)

Lee sighed, and Garfield figured that his initial assessments on who the lady in the photograph is may be accurate.

"她係我當年的未婚妻。" (She was my fiancée back then.) Lee replied. "她在七年前因為結核病而辭世的。" (She passed away seven years ago from tuberculosis.)

Garfield nodded solemnly as he placed his hand on Lee's shoulder. "我為你感到遺憾。" (I am so sorry to hear.)

Lee nodded. "最糟透的地方就係她開始住院的時候，她的結核病還能接受治療的。" (The worst part was that when she was initially admitted to the hospital, her tuberculosis was treatable.)

Garfield looked up briefly. "但係?" (But?)

"我和她的家庭沒有辦法負得起醫護人員要求的茶錢。" (Her family and I couldn't afford the tea money demanded by the medical staff.) Lee said. "他們也就不看好她。" (And so they didn't attend to her properly.)

"茶錢。" (Tea money.) Garfield repeated. "那也太過分吧!" (That is very ridiculous!)

Lee grunted. "她在病情逐漸惡化的情況下在我們要結婚前兩個禮拜辭世的。" (Her condition deteriorated afterwards, and she died two weeks before we were due to wed.)

"真的很過分。" (That was really unwarranted.) Garfield scoffed as he shook his head before he asked, "緊也係為什麼你對那些要求和接受茶錢的人員有極大的反感，對不對?" (This also explains why you hold those that demand and accept tea money with great contempt, right?)

Lee nodded. "更係為何我們也必須加速的搜查出試圖陷害我們的那兩位跟那兩個大幫之間的關係。" (Also why we need to work fast in finding the connections between the dirtbags that attempted to set us up and those two gangs.)

Garfield nodded firmly as they glanced at Fong's file before they promptly returned to Lee's living room.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Canadian Commission, Merton was staring out the window as Chief Superintendent Graham spoke.

"In the decade leading up to the 1967 Riots, the mysterious crime lord Yikui was in the process of raising through the ladder of Hong Kong's criminal underworld." Graham began. "Specialising in the acquisition of rare antiques, counterfeiting and smuggling on behalf of a number of other gang players on both sides of the Pacific, Yikui eventually established himself as a crucial, major player."

Chu, Hon and Hung shared glances with each other as Graham continued, "Then, along came the riots and Yikui took advantage of the situation to consolidate operations in Hong Kong and further established himself as one of the most powerful crime lords in the Asia Pacific and on the American and Canadian West Coast."

Then, turning towards the trio, Graham exhaled before saying, "In the six years that followed, we've been trying to shut down Yikui's operations, particularly in Canada, without any success. Not even after his gang suffered a blow from that infighting that led to the formation of Forever Enlightened in '69 did it improve matters in our efforts to track down Yikui."

Hung exhaled as Chu asked, "And what did Commissioner Merton has to do with all of this, Graham?"

"Well, Mr. Wu and I have played our parts in assisting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in curtailing Yikui's operations in Canada." Merton turned around to face the four police officers. "For months, they succeeded in confiscating millions of dollars worth of merchandise, ranging from weapons and cash to stolen artifacts, many of which were taken from the Indigenous communities of Canada."

"Artifacts that were very priceless and remained largely unknown to the world at large." Graham nodded. "And then, without any warning, Yikui simply vanished from the face of the earth. There were no witnesses, and to this day, it's anyone's guess on Yikui's whereabouts."

Hon exhaled. "It's good to know who we're dealing with, sir."

"Indeed it is." Hung agreed as she turned towards Graham and asked, "Speaking of which, do you really think Yikui would kill the girl?"

Graham exhaled as he turned towards Merton, during which the look on his face darkened, and Chu turned towards Hung.

Without missing a beat, Graham gently placed his hand on Merton's shoulder as he said, "My advice is that you should pay the ransom."

For a while, there was some silence in the office as everyone looked at Merton.

Eventually, the commissioner nodded slowly at Graham before he took another glance out the window, and Graham turned towards Chu and nodded firmly.

Taking the firm look on both Merton and Chu's face as their cue, Hung and Hon immediately took their leaves.

* * *

**Time: 16:55 Hong Kong Daylight Time (UTC+09:00)**

To say that the mood in Superintendent Chin's office was beyond stormy that late afternoon was an understatement, especially considering the fact that Garfield, Lee and Ng charged into his office just as he was getting ready to call it a day.

The superintendent frowned as the trio charged into his office without a door-knock, and his eyes narrowed in annoyance as the trio reported that they have made new discoveries in the case.

"看樣子你們根本沒有聽清楚我今天早上給你們的指令。" (Seems like you lot has trouble comprehending the orders I've given this morning.) Chin growled as he glared at the trio, even though Ng wasn't present during the dress-down he had given Garfield and Lee that morning. "你們係-" (Do you lot-)

Before the superintendent could finish, Garfield abruptly reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the photo he had captured two nights before.

Without missing a beat, Garfield slapped the photo on Chin's desk as he said crossly, "在你開始發飆之前，你能不能先解釋緊張照片，警司?" (Before you start lecturing us, care to explain this photo, Superintendent?)

Chin paused as he looked at the photo Garfield has slapped on his desk, during which Ng said, "緊張照片係在14日晚上拍的。" (This photo was taken on the night of the 14th.)

As the superintendent looked up towards Garfield, Lee added, "你應該認出照片裡的那兩位先生係誰。" (You should recognise the two men in the photo.)

Chin only said nothing as he fixated his glare at Garfield, during which the latter reached into his dress pocket.

"我們還沒有說服你啊?" (Not convinced yet?) Garfield demanded as he pulled out a couple more photos and slammed them on the superintendent's desk.

As the superintendent stared at two more of the incriminating photos of Hon and Hung shaking hands with Gwok, Garfield continued, "我係很想知道到底為什麼專門調查綁架案的調查員係有跟幫派有交流的。" (I would really like to know why on earth are the investigators assigned to the kidnapping case are colluding with the mob?)

"更何況我們知道緊綁架案的幕後兇手係跟那兩位有交流的幫派係死對頭的。" (Not to mention we know that the culprit responsible for the kidnapping is fierce rivals with the gang those two are colluding with.) Lee added. "緊就讓我們感到懷疑恆光瑜在緊一案上面有甚麼會讓他們受益的結果。" (Which makes us suspicious on what sort of benefits is Forever Enlightened looking at in all of this.)

"緊就帶我們來到我們今天下午做出的推測。" (Which then brings us to the conclusions we've drawn up this afternoon.) Garfield said as he maintained his glare on Chin and added, "你如果真的關心你在警務處的未來的話，你的確會想要聽好我們的解釋。" (If you really care about your future in the police force, you will really want to hear what we have to say.)

Chin continued to say nothing as he stared at the trio, and Garfield glanced at Lee and Ng briefly before the latter took out the folder containing the files they've compiled throughout much of the afternoon and placed it onto the superintendent's desk.

"你如果仔細的念這個文件的話，你會發現這係馮安生替恆光瑜幫派做出來的會計。" (If you take a closer look at this file, you will notice that this is the accounting books A. Fong has been doing on behalf of Forever Enlightened.) Garfield began.

As the superintendent look down on the files, Ng stepped in. "雖然馮安生當年在幫內鬥爭時跟隨郭瑜一起創作恆光瑜，但他事實上有替這個幫派做了不少的協議。" (Although Fong joined Gwok in forming Forever Enlightened following the infighting, in actuality, he has helped the mob concluded a number of agreements.)

"其中的一個協議係一個可以說係專門來避免他們跟一大塊發生衝突。" (One of which you could say is specific in preventing conflict between them and One Piece.) Lee added. "事實上， **這個** 協議係一大塊最近綁架被害人的原因。" (In fact, this specific agreement was the _**very** _reason One Piece kidnapped the victim recently.)

Chin continued to maintain the glare on his face as Garfield reached over to flip the page.

"簡而言之，一大塊和恆光瑜簽的緊個協議主要係為了減低兩幫之間情勢緊張的情況。" (Long story short, this agreement between One Piece and Forever Enlightened was to de-escalate the tension between the two gangs.) Garfield explained. "緊協議規定它們兩幫之間必須在他們缺的財產上面做交易。" (The agreement stipulates that the two gangs conducts trade with respect to the assets they've lacked.)

"一大塊在生產和走私進口武器上係一個已建立的幫派玩手。" (One Piece is already a well-established player in the gangs with regards to arms productions and smuggling.) Lee nodded. "但恆光瑜在財產和走私其他物品上面有一個很大的優勢。" (While Forever Enlightened had a huge advantage in terms of assets and smuggling other artifacts.)

"問題係，馮安生被美國當局逮捕歸案後，恆光瑜的經營就被打斷。" (Problem is, Forever Enlightened's operations were disrupted following Fong's arrest by the American authorities.) Ng said. "此外，一大塊的生產武器動線在近年的搜捕後也被打斷了。" (Furthermore, One Piece's operations in arms productions were further disrupted by the police raids conducted in the past while.)

"包括他們生產偽造煙火的經營。" (Which includes their production of counterfeit fireworks.) Lee interjected. "有趣的係我們打斷一大塊的偽造煙火生產動線之前，恆光瑜有向他們訂購一系列的貨物。" (Interestingly, before we disrupted One Piece's supply chain for counterfeit fireworks, Forever Enlightened placed an order for the merchandise.)

"他們的協議裡有一個條款規定說如果他們其中一邊無法提供對方訂購的貨物時，供應者必須賠償損失再加上利息。" (Within their agreement, there's a clause that stipulates that should one side fail to deliver on the merchandise for the other side, the supplier needs to compensate the buyer, in addition to pay an interest.) Garfield said.

"這個利息就係一大塊必須利用他們的走私經營得到的利潤來賠恆光瑜的。" (That interest comes in the form of One Piece using the profits from their smuggling operation to compensate Forever Enlightened.) Ng said.

"但緊一切跟綁架案有甚麼關聯?" (But what does all of this have to do with the kidnapping case?) Lee asked.

At Lee's questioning, Garfield flipped the page and slapped his hand on the attached photo while maintaining the glare on his face.

"你應該記得高賽係郭瑜的強制的執行者。" (You should remember that Ko is Gwok's enforcement muscle.) Garfield said. "你也應該記得當年有一個綁架轉抹殺案有牽涉到高賽。" (You should also remember that years ago, Ko was involved in a kidnapping-turned-murder cold case.)

"1961年三月18日，有一位跟Merton案被害人相同年齡的小女孩在放學回家的路上消失。" (The 18th of March, 1961. A young girl roughly the same age as the victim in the Merton case disappeared on her way home after school.) Lee nodded as Ng slammed the cold case file on Chin's desk. "沒多久，她的遺體在她學校附近的一個水溝被尋獲到了。" (Not long after that, her body was located in a ditch near her school.)

"在她遺體上有被性侵過的痕跡的情況下，高賽被命名為案子的嫌疑犯。" (Given that there were signs of sexual assault on her remains, Ko was named as the primary suspect.) Ng nodded as he added, "特別係他人有性一類侵害別人的前科。" (Especially since he has a record of committing assault of sexual nature.)

"高賽的問題也係一大塊分裂的原因之一。" (The problem with Ko was also a factor in One Piece's subsequent division.) Garfield added. "因為儘管警方沒有證據把高賽連到那個案，就連盧振島和其他不支持郭瑜的幫派人員也對高賽的行為感到厭惡。" (Because even though police never found evidence to connect Ko to the case, even Lu and those within One Piece that opposed Kwok were disgusted by Ko's actions.)

Ng nodded. "緊個案也成為恆光瑜和一大塊簽訂的協議的基礎。只要他們兩幫之間的交易不牽扯到高賽的話，不然它們兩幫會繼續鬥打的。" (This case formed the basis of the agreement signed between One Piece and Forever Enlightened. As long as Ko doesn't get involved in the trading between them, otherwise it will mean war between them.)

"另外，說道那個案件，很多的證據，特別係被害人戴上的戒指和項鍊，在案中調查後並沒有被尋獲的。" (And speaking of the case, much of the evidence, especially the ring and necklace worn by the victim, was never recovered following the investigation.) Lee said.

It was then that Ng flipped a page in the cold case file and said, "猜猜看當初調查這個案件的調查員係誰?" (And guess who was the main investigator in the case?)

Chin didn't respond, not that he needed to, because he recognized the file from years ago and he knew that Ng was pointing right at his name on the page.

"你們給我滾出我的辦公室。" (Get the devil out of my office.) The superintendent finally spoke.

"所以你不否認你當年在調查這個案子時有疏忽，係不係?" (So you don't deny that you were negligent in the investigation, right?) Lee demanded.

Chin only maintained the glare on his face as he stared at the trio, but before he could say something, the desk telephone rang.

With an annoyed sigh, the superintendent reached over to answer the telephone. "喂?" (Hello?)

"你好，陳警司。" (Hello, Superintendent Chin.) Ko answered at the other end, much to the superintendent's surprise.

"高賽?!" (Ko?!) Chin exclaimed, and Garfield, Lee and Ng glanced at each other. "你係怎麼找到緊個電話號碼?搞甚麼事?" (How on earth did you find this number? What's going on?)

"你告訴我啊，陳警司。" (You tell me, Chin.) Ko snorted.

"甚麼?" (What?) Chin asked.

"你別跟我眼睛說瞎話。" (Don't play dumb with me.) Ko said. "我們知道你今天早上做了甚麼事。" (We know what you've done earlier this morning.)

"我做了甚麼事?" (Done what?) Chin asked in confusion.

"哼。我想這解釋你係怎麼升職到警司了。" (Well, I suppose that explains how you got made superintendent.) Ko snorted. "總之，我們當時就已經警告你說除非你又要一個奪取你家庭人員一命的車禍的話，你不准去借老案文件的!" (Either way, you were warned to not check out any old case files unless you want another accident to happen to your family.)

"文件?" (F-files?) Chin asked as he turned towards his desk and saw the files on his desk, the ones Ng had checked out earlier that morning. "高賽，到底係發生甚麼事啊?" (Ko, what the devil is going on?)

"你檢查了好幾個老案文件。" (You've checked out a number of old files.) Ko replied. "你如果想要再看到你的女兒的話，你現在就給我 **把那些 _該死的_ 文件還回去**!" (If you wanna see your daughter again, you put the _bl**dy_ file back right now!)

"我的女兒...?" (My daughter...?) Chin trailed off as realization set in. "高賽，她現在在哪裡?!" (Ko, where is she?!)

"她在一個安全的地方。" (She's somewhere safe.) Ko responded humourlessly. "但如果緊要繼續下去的話係要看你啦。" (But whether or not it stays that way is totally up to you.)

"高賽，等一下-!" (Ko, wait-!) Chin shouted, only for the gangster to hang up at the other end of the line.

Chin stared at the ear piece before he slowly turned towards the trio, who only stared at him.

"警司，發生甚麼事?" (Superintendent, what's going on?) Garfield asked.

* * *

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